The Board determined that the Veteran's service-connected conditions did not cause or contribute to his death from hepatocellular carcinoma.
The deciding factor: The service-connected cold injury residuals of the feet and PTSD were found insufficient to be a contributory cause of death due to hepatocellular carcinoma.
- Claimed conditions
- hepatocellular carcinoma, cold injury residuals of the left foot, cold injury residuals of the right foot, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), residuals of multiple shrapnel fragment wound scars
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 25, 2009
- Citation
- 0936417
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0936417.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for hepatocellular carcinoma, which is secondary to hepatitis C, has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with MDD is found to be the cause of his sleep apnea, and he has been granted secondary service connection for this condition.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection for erectile dysfunction, cervical spine condition, OSA, anxiety disorder, PTSD, and depression disorder as they were previously denied by prior decisions that have not been vacated or remanded.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's requests for earlier effective dates for service connection of kidney cancer and liver cancer, finding that no formal or informal claims were filed prior to February 12, 2025.
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