The Veteran died due to lung cancer and diabetes. The VA did not find evidence of negligence or lack of proper skill in diagnosing his lung cancer, which was diagnosed after two weeks of symptoms. The Board found no fault on the part of VA.
The deciding factor: There is no indication that VA's care caused the death, as the Veteran presented with respiratory symptoms only after August 2012 and a diagnosis of lung cancer was made based on his medical history and examination findings.
- Claimed conditions
- lung cancer, diabetes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 3, 2019
- Citation
- 19176563
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his lung cancer was related to his service-connected melanoma.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, hypertension, and various musculoskeletal and skin disabilities.
- 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.
- Dismissed
The appeals for service connection for various conditions were dismissed due to the Veteran's death.
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