The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of pneumonia and squamous cell carcinoma of the lungs, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinions provided did not support a causal relationship between the Veteran's lung cancer and exposure to asbestos or other toxins in service. The Board found that the most likely cause of the Veteran's lung cancer was long-term smoking, which is considered a primary risk factor for lung cancer.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma of the lungs, residuals of pneumonia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 7, 2021
- Citation
- 21040980
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 21040980.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not service-connected as there is no evidence of a current disability.,The Veteran's residuals of pneumonia are service-connected due to his military service and the presence of lung scarring from previous pneumonia episodes.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is service-connected based on in-service stressors.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection has been remanded due to the submission of new and relevant evidence. The claims will be reconsidered on their merits.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of pneumonia, finding that there is no current disability to establish entitlement.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for clarification on whether the Veteran's lung cancer is primary or metastatic from his oral cavity, and if it is metastatic, to determine its etiology related to in-service herbicide exposure.
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