The Veteran's death was not due to a service-connected disability that had been rated totally disabling for at least eight years prior to his death. Therefore, the appellant is not entitled to increased DIC benefits.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not have a service-connected disability rated as 100% (totally disabling) for at least 8 years immediately preceding his death.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma of the lung
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 23, 2018
- Citation
- 1817999
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1817999.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board granted service connection for the veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the lung, acknowledging that the evidence was at least in equipoise regarding the relationship between the veteran's exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune and his current condition.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error, specifically regarding an inadequate medical opinion on the etiology of the Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. The AOJ is required to obtain an addendum medical opinion addressing whether the Veteran's lung cancer is at least as likely as not caused by his exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient employment information provided by the Veteran, and further development is needed to clarify dates of employment and request for employment information from American Airlines.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the lung and COPD have been rated at 60 percent since March 1, 2018. The Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted for this period.
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