The Board denied both the claim for service connection for the cause of death and the DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 due to lack of evidence linking the Decedent's stomach cancer to his military service.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not support a finding that the Decedent’s stomach cancer was related to his military service, and there was no service connection for any disability at the time of his death.
- Claimed conditions
- stomach cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19100843
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,050 · Granted: 23% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19100843.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to errors in developing evidence related to possible ionizing radiation exposure and TERA participation. The claim will be reconsidered with proper development of this information.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was determined to be stomach cancer, but the Board found no evidence linking it to his service or any service-connected conditions. The claim for service connection is denied.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the appellant's claims for accrued benefits due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's cancers and his service-connected disabilities, specifically gastritis with hyperacidity and coronary artery disease. The VA is required to obtain medical opinions on the nature and etiology of the Veteran's right kidney cancer, stomach cancer, and bone cancer.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
Your appeal has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death. The Board cannot issue a decision on your claims as they are no longer pending.
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