The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, which was non-small cell lung cancer.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinion concluded that the Veteran’s lung cancer was less likely than not related to his military service or a service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- non-small cell lung cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 1, 2020
- Citation
- 20064068
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for cause of death to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error related to the Veteran's exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's lung disorder, diagnosed as COPD and non-small cell lung cancer. The VA must provide a medical examination or obtain a medical opinion to address the conflicting opinions from private physicians and assess whether the Veteran's current lung condition is related to service, including exposure to asbestos and Agent Orange.
- Granted
The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the veteran's death was caused by a skin cancer etiologically linked to service, and grants service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.