The Board denied service connection for cause of death due to lack of evidence linking the Veteran's adenocarcinoma of the lung to his military service, including any asbestos exposure.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinion found that the Veteran’s lung cancer was not related to his time in service and did not support a nexus between the Veteran's condition and his service.
- Claimed conditions
- Adenocarcinoma of the lung
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 1, 2020
- Citation
- 20057944
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 20057944.
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: Partly granted
The appeal of the issue of entitlement to service connection for a heart disability was dismissed, while the claim for adenocarcinoma of the lung was granted.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, along with a 100% disability rating for other specified trauma and stressor related disorder, qualifies him for an effective date of March 2, 2017, for the grant of special monthly compensation (SMC)(l) based on aid and attendance. The Veteran is also eligible for SMC(p), at a higher rate than (l), due to his other service-connected disabilities.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was due to stage 4 adenocarcinoma of the lung, which is not service-connected. The Veteran did not meet the criteria for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted the appellant's application to reopen her claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and remanded the issue of entitlement to burial benefits. The Board also remanded the issue of whether the Veteran's fatal lung disability was related to service, including asbestos exposure.
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