The Board found that the cause of the veteran's death was not service-connected, and thus denied both the claim for service connection for the cause of death and the DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence showing a relationship between the veteran's service-connected disabilities and his cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- cardiopulmonary arrest, gastrointestinal bleeding, esophageal varices, cirrhosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 14, 2006
- Citation
- 0604238
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 issue of entitlement to service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, for purposes of entitlement to dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC), as further development is necessary.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death as there was no evidence linking any of the listed conditions to his military service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for liver cancer, diabetes mellitus, esophageal varices, and hypertension as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected hepatitis C with cirrhosis of the liver. The appeal for cirrhosis of the liver was dismissed due to a full and complete grant of benefits. Service connection for GERD and a gastrointestinal disorder was denied.
- Granted
The Board granted an initial 50 percent rating for the Veteran's cirrhosis of the liver with portal hypertension, Wilson's disease, gastrointestinal bleeding, and pancreatitis based on a history of one episode of hemorrhage from portal gastropathy.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.