The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for cause of death due to congestive heart failure and stomach cancer, as well as his accrued benefits claim related to prostate cancer. The Veteran died from congestive heart failure caused by stomach cancer, which was not service-connected.
The deciding factor: The June 2009 VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus did not contribute substantially or materially to his cardiovascular disease and death, rendering the question of a relationship between diabetes mellitus and stomach cancer moot.
- Claimed conditions
- Congestive heart failure, Stomach carcinoma (esophagogastrectomy for adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction), Diabetes mellitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 1, 2010
- Citation
- 1007462
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 1007462.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, type II, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, hypertension, asthma/lung disease, vision disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis, leukocytosis, kidney disease/kidney stones, enlarged prostate, sleep apnea, rheumatoid arthritis, lumbar spine disability, right ankle disability, and left ankle disability.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the R(1) rate due to his need for regular aid and attendance.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, finding no evidence that his death was related to any injury or disease in service, including exposure to herbicide agents.
- 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.
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