The Veteran's death from metastatic non-small cell lung cancer and obstructive pneumonia was not caused by or related to his military service, including exposure to environmental hazards. The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence showing that the Veteran's death was caused by a service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, obstructive pneumonia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 5, 2021
- Citation
- 21027305
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 21027305.
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 appeal for service connection for the Veteran's cause of death is remanded. The Board needs more information to decide if the Veteran's death was related to his military service.
- Denied
The Veteran's application for PCAFC benefits was denied due to the death of the Veteran, making it impossible to complete and comply with all applicable requirements of the program.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for bronchiolitis obliterans and obstructive pneumonia, finding no current diagnosis of these conditions. The lung cancer and brain cancer claims are remanded due to a duty to assist error, and the SMC claim is also remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient development regarding asbestos exposure and service connection for the cause of death. The Veteran's lung cancer is now under review with an addendum opinion from a VA examiner.
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