The Board denied the claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between any service-connected disability and his lung cancer.
The deciding factor: The medical opinion concluded that the Veteran's lung cancer is not related to his military service, including alleged radiation, asbestos, and cold exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- lung carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 15, 2020
- Citation
- 20079264
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 20079264.
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.
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The Board has granted the appellant's claims for recognition as the surviving spouse of the Veteran and service connection for the cause of his death, attributing both to secondary service-connected PTSD.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for SMC based on the need for aid and attendance is remanded due to a duty to assist error. He needs an examination to determine if he requires aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient rationale in the VA opinion regarding asbestos exposure and its relation to the Veteran's cause of death. The Appellant is asked to provide any additional private treatment records, including those reviewed by the September 2019 private physician.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding asbestos exposure during service and a need for a VA medical opinion.
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