The Board denied entitlement to DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 and remanded the issue of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.
The deciding factor: The Veteran was not in receipt of a totally disabling service-connected disability rated continuously for at least 10 years immediately preceding his death, which is required to establish entitlement to DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.
- Claimed conditions
- Lung cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 4, 2025
- Citation
- A25031300
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 Board remands the claim for a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's liver, lung, brain, and bone cancers in relation to his service, including exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for COPD, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, lung cancer, thyroid cancer, and hypertension due to inadequate medical opinions.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of death, finding that toxic exposure during service contributed substantially or materially to the Veteran's cause of death.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was not persuasive evidence linking his lung cancer to his military service.
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