The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of death due to a nonservice-connected condition, and also denied eligibility for Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance under Chapter 35, Title 38, United States Code.
The deciding factor: There was no evidence linking the cause of death to military service or exposure to herbicides. The veteran's death was due to a nonservice-connected condition that had not been previously service connected.
- Claimed conditions
- adenocarcinoma of the esophagus with spinal metastases and lower extremity paralysis
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 13, 2004
- Citation
- 0401065
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 0401065.
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
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