The Veteran's death is attributed to his service-connected exposure to mustard gas, which compromised his immune system and contributed to the development of cancer that ultimately caused his death. The Board finds in favor of granting service connection for the cause of death.
The deciding factor: Service connection was granted based on the Veteran's in-service exposure to mustard gas, which is presumed due to burn pit exposure, contributing to the compromise of his immune system and subsequent development of cancer that led to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Bladder cancer, Renal cell cancer, Malignant neoplasm of the brain
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19155607
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 19155607.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for bladder cancer, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as there is no evidence to support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bladder cancer, erectile dysfunction, and gouty arthropathy due to outstanding VA treatment records not being obtained. The Veteran's request for a referral to a urologist for ED is also remanded. A VA medical opinion is needed regarding the relationship between the Veteran's gouty arthropathy and his service-connected conditions.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claims for service connection for bladder and kidney cancer were dismissed as the Notice of Disagreement was not filed within one year of the denial.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for bladder cancer and diabetes mellitus, Type II are remanded due to errors in the VA opinion regarding exposure to herbicides and toxic substances during his military service.
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