The Veteran's death was caused by sepsis, as a consequence of renal failure and esophageal cancer. The cause of his GERD symptoms during his inpatient stay at the VA domiciliary unit prevented him from preventing or identifying early-stage esophageal cancer, leading to his untimely death.
The deciding factor: VA's failure to provide proper care for the Veteran's GERD symptoms contributed to the development and progression of his esophageal cancer, which was a proximate cause of his death.
- Claimed conditions
- GERD, esophageal cancer, sepsis, renal failure
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 2, 2017
- Citation
- 1703113
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 1703113.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA opinion and a need for further examination.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for GERD is granted, and the appeal to restore a 40% rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, degenerative disc other than IVDS, central canal stenosis, and scoliosis prior to June 1, 2024 is dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a duty-to-assist error, specifically failing to obtain an opinion on whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed to his accidental drowning death.
- Granted
The Board has granted an initial disability rating of 10 percent for GERD, effective May 31, 2019. The Veteran's GERD is currently manifested by infrequent episodes of epigastric distress and pyrosis.
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