The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking his renal cancer and renal failure to service. The opinions from both a VA staff physician and an oncology specialist concluded that the Veteran’s cause of death is less likely than not related to service.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions found no connection between the Veteran's service-connected conditions and his cause of death, concluding instead that it was more likely due to other factors such as smoking and occupational exposure to asbestos.
- Claimed conditions
- renal cancer, renal failure
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 3, 2018
- Citation
- 18140553
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 18140553.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a VA medical opinion to determine if the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including medications taken therefor, were a substantial or contributing factor in his death.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including renal failure, sleep apnea, erectile dysfunction, blackout spells, swelling of the eyelids, diminished eyesight, sleep deprivation, and bladder incontinence. The Board also denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for left ankle tendonitis associated with residual scar.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for renal cancer due to in-service exposure to herbicide agents, as the evidence was at least in equipoise.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for renal cancer, finding no evidence of a nexus between the disease and his military service.
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