The Veteran's cause of death was due to cardiorespiratory arrest caused by chronic obstructive lung disease, with tobacco use and lung cancer listed as contributory conditions. The Board found that the service-connected schizophrenia did not contribute substantially or materially to her death.
The deciding factor: Service connection for the cause of death requires a disability incurred in or aggravated by service to be either the principal or contributory cause of death. In this case, the examiner opined that the Veteran's use of tobacco products was caused and/or permanently aggravated by her service-connected schizophrenia, paranoia, but did not find it contributed substantially or materially to her death.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic obstructive lung disease, schizophrenia, paranoia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 23, 2022
- Citation
- 22030349
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 22030349.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's schizophrenia is rated at 70 percent, indicating significant impairment in work and social functioning.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the claims for an effective date prior to August 18, 2016, for a 100 percent disability rating for schizophrenia and for spousal SMC for aid and attendance. The Veteran's claim was erroneously adjudicated by the AOJ and constitutes a free-standing earlier effective date claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that the Appellant's discharge from service is not a bar to VA compensation benefits, but it was an error in fulfilling VA's duty to assist not to obtain a medical opinion addressing the extent of any psychiatric symptoms during service and their effect on the Appellant's behavior. The matter is therefore remanded for further action.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's past-due benefits from the May 2024 rating decision were not fully paid to him, and the Board has ordered VA to quickly verify and pay any remaining amounts owed.
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