The Veteran's death was caused by metastatic lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which were presumed to be due to exposure to herbicide agents during service in Vietnam. The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death on a presumptive basis.
The deciding factor: The Veteran visited Vietnam as part of his duties as an aircraft mechanic and was exposed to herbicide agents, leading to the grant of service connection for the cause of death due to lung cancer.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 12, 2017
- Citation
- 1700910
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1700910.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Denied
The Board denied service connection for asthma, COPD, pancreatitis, stroke, and left arm weakness (claimed as secondary to stroke) based on the presumption of exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to service or due to in-service exposure.
- Dismissed
The appeal seeking readjudication of the previously denied claim for PTSD and multiple other conditions is dismissed due to a procedural defect. The Veteran's authorized representative at the time the appeal was submitted did not have the authority to file the appeal.
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