The Veteran's death was caused by his hepatitis C infection, which contributed substantially and materially to his fatal hepatocellular cancer. The Board finds that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the hepatitis C was related to service.
The deciding factor: There is a relative equipoise in the evidence regarding whether the Veteran’s hepatitis C was related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Hepatocellular cancer, Cardiac arrest
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 4, 2018
- Citation
- 18155146
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 18155146.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
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: Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and therefore denied entitlement to service connection for the cause of his death.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's cause of death, hepatocellular cancer, is being remanded for further evaluation due to insufficient opinions regarding its relation to service and the role of his service-connected prostate cancer.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter to obtain relevant SSA records that could provide information pertinent to the Veteran's appeal.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding no evidence that a disability incurred in or aggravated by service either caused or contributed substantially to his cardiac arrest.
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