The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death due to non-small cell lung cancer, finding that there was no evidence linking it to service or a service-connected disability. The Veteran's exposure to radiation during service could not be verified and his cause of death was attributed to smoking-related adenocarcinoma.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinion found the Veteran’s lung cancer less likely due to military service or a service-connected condition, citing smoking history and literature supporting increased risk of lung cancers from smoking.
- Claimed conditions
- Systemic lipomatosis, Adjustment disorder with depression, Non-small cell lung cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 1, 2020
- Citation
- 20064068
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,642 · Granted: 19% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 20064068.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that there are duty to assist errors in the current decision and remands the case for further development, including obtaining an ILER and a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's cause of death.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's cause of death is being remanded for further development to determine if it was related to in-service TERA exposure.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and adjustment disorder with depression, as the claimed stressors could not be verified and there was no evidence linking current symptoms to service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's non-small cell lung cancer was rated at 100% effective from January 7, 2025. The claim for an earlier effective date is denied.
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