The Board has determined that the Veteran's lung cancer, likely mesothelioma, was caused by his in-service exposure to asbestos. As a result, service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death is granted.
The deciding factor: The evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's lung cancer was due to his in-service exposure to asbestos.
- Claimed conditions
- lung cancer (likely mesothelioma), pleural abnormalities, mediastinal lymphadenopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 25, 2020
- Citation
- 20014374
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 20014374.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lung tumors and asbestosis, but has remanded his claim for an acquired respiratory disability due to asbestos exposure.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for systolic heart murmur, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, metastatic disease of the spine, hypertension (HTN), hepatic lesions, mediastinal lymphadenopathy, epigastric pain, and reticuloendothelial disability as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lung cancer. Hyperlipidemia was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various conditions, including a heart disability, lung cancer, lumbar spine disability, hypertension, liver disability, peripheral neuropathy, allergic rhinitis, mediastinal lymphadenopathy, gastrointestinal disability, blood forming organ disorder, reticuloendothelial disability, agranulocytosis, and nasal disability. The claims are remanded for additional development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's respiratory disorder, including lung nodules and mediastinal lymphadenopathy, is remanded for additional development to determine if it is related to his service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War.
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