The Veteran's death was caused by or substantially contributed to by his service-connected reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), which led to depression and ultimately the cause of death, metastatic esophageal carcinoma.
The deciding factor: Service-connected RSD aggravated the Veteran's pre-existing depression, which in turn contributed to his death from metastatic esophageal carcinoma.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic esophageal carcinoma, chronic depression, reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD)
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 10, 2010
- Citation
- 1009019
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 1009019.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Dismissed
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- Remanded (sent back)
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- Denied
The Board denied a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD and chronic depression. The decision was based on the severity, frequency, and duration of the Veteran's symptoms not meeting the criteria for a higher rating.
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