The Veteran's death was attributed to community acquired pneumonia and COPD, which the VA determined were not related to his service. The cause of death is believed to be due to his long-term tobacco smoking.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's COPD and pneumonia are causally linked to his military service or exposure to herbicides and chemical agents, including film developing chemicals. His self-reported 40 years of one pack per day cigarette smoking is considered the primary cause of his COPD.
- Claimed conditions
- Community acquired pneumonia, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Diabetes mellitus, type 2, Lung cancer, Heart disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 10, 2021
- Citation
- 21068363
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 21068363.
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- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher level of SMC was denied as the Board found that he is already in receipt of SMC at the (l) rate based on need for regular aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease with congestive heart failure. A second award of SMC at the (l) rate based on need for regular aid and attendance was not warranted.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that there is no competent evidence linking any principal or contributory cause of his death to his service.
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