The Veteran's death was caused by hepatitis C, which is service-connected. The claim for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 is moot due to the grant of service connection.
The deciding factor: Service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death was established based on evidence linking his hepatitis C to military service exposure, resolving all doubt in favor of the appellant.
- Claimed conditions
- hepatic coma, chronic active hepatitis, post necrotic cirrhosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 2, 2010
- Citation
- 1045107
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 1045107.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board dismissed the claim for neuro-behavioral effects due to procedural defects. All other issues related to service connection and rating for various conditions were remanded for further adjudication.
- Granted
The Veteran's initial disability rating for scars, status post liver transplant, is granted at a 20 percent level. The claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection to status post liver transplant, chronic active hepatitis with active nodular cirrhosis, now cryptogenic cirrhosis, is dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's liver and gastrointestinal disorders are remanded for further examination to determine if they are related to his service at Camp Lejeune.
- Denied
The Board denied the petition to reopen the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death due to lack of new and material evidence, concluding that the appellant's statements do not provide a credible medical opinion linking the Veteran's cause of death to his military service or herbicide exposure.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
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.