The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to lack of evidence showing exposure to herbicide agents or other conditions during service, and concluded that lung cancer was not a contributory cause of death.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not have documented exposure to herbicide agents or shortness of breath during service, and there is no evidence supporting the claim that he served in the Republic of Vietnam or near the Korean DMZ. Lung cancer was determined not to be a contributory cause of death due to lack of evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- Lung Cancer, Aspiration Pneumonia, Coronary Artery Disease, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 3, 2021
- Citation
- A21017759
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 A21017759.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death, lung cancer, was not related to his active duty service and therefore service connection for the cause of death is denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's TDIU was granted effective March 2, 2018, due to his service-connected disabilities including PTSD and other conditions. The decision also noted that the Veteran is currently self-employed as a truck driver.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a heart disability and hypertension due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors. The AOJ is required to obtain addendum medical opinions regarding toxic exposure risk activities (TERA).
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for SMC in excess of SMC(n) based on his service-connected conditions and additional disabilities, as well as his need for aid and attendance. The appeal was dismissed.
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