The Veteran's cause of death, acute respiratory failure and lung cancer, was not incurred in or aggravated by service. The Board found no evidence of asbestos exposure during service or a link between the Veteran's military service and his post-service health issues.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence indicating that the Veteran was exposed to asbestos during service or that the causes of his death are related to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Acute respiratory failure, Lung cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 20, 2020
- Citation
- 20074533
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 a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's liver, lung, brain, and bone cancers in relation to his service, including exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for COPD, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, lung cancer, thyroid cancer, and hypertension due to inadequate medical opinions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for the Veteran's cause of death and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation under 38 USC 1318 due to a need for a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's causes of death, considering toxic exposure at Camp Lejeune.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of death, finding that toxic exposure during service contributed substantially or materially to the Veteran's cause of death.
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