The Board found that the veteran's hepatitis C, which he claimed was related to service, did not cause his death. The VA examination report indicated that it was more likely due to drug use in service. Therefore, the service-connected conditions did not contribute substantially or materially to his cause of death.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the veteran's hepatitis C, which he claimed was related to service, was more likely caused by drug use rather than transfusions in service, and thus did not contribute substantially or materially to his cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- Respiratory failure, Encephalopathy, Cirrhosis
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 8, 2004
- Citation
- 0427964
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 0427964.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- 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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for cirrhosis, hepatitis C, hepatocellular carcinoma, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gastritis, Barrett's esophagus, and obstructive sleep apnea but dismissed the claim for an acquired psychiatric disability.
- Partly granted
The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection for congestive heart failure and PTSD, granted a TDIU due to service-connected PTSD, and granted special monthly compensation based on housebound criteria.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding no evidence linking his death to his military service.
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