The Board denied service connection for lung cancer and kidney failure, as the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of these conditions at any point during the pendency of his claim. The Board also denied entitlement to increased SMC rates under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(r)(1) and/or 38 U.S.C. § 1114(r)(2), as he was not in need of regular aid and attendance or a higher level of care.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran did not have current diagnoses of lung cancer or kidney failure, which are required for service connection to be granted.
- Claimed conditions
- lung cancer, kidney failure
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 3, 2019
- Citation
- 19125157
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 19125157.
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.
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- Dismissed
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- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of December 12, 2023, for a 50 percent evaluation of bipolar disorder and remanded the other issues for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an adequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's cause of death, including lung cancer and cardio-pulmonary arrest, to address in-service toxic exposures.
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