The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 due to lack of evidence linking the veteran's fatal cancer to his service-connected conditions.
The deciding factor: Service-connected disabilities did not play a role in the veteran's death or hasten it, nor were they related to any condition that contributed to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- infectious hepatitis, carcinoma of the common bile duct
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 21, 2006
- Citation
- 0621520
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 0621520.
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 has decided to remand the case due to a lack of a VA examination prior to the initial decision, and it is unclear whether the Veteran currently has a hepatitis disorder or any related residuals. The claim must be returned for further evaluation.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for SMC based on aid and attendance or housebound rate due to insufficient evidence showing he requires regular aid and assistance from another person.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II has been granted due to presumed exposure to herbicides. The issue of a compensable rating for infectious hepatitis is remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for infectious hepatitis has been reopened and is now pending. The VA medical opinion provided new evidence that raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.
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