The Veteran's cause of death was due to liver cancer, which the Board found to be related to his presumed exposure to herbicides in service. As a result, the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death is granted. The appeal for DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 is dismissed as moot.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's liver cancer was related to his presumed exposure to herbicides in service, which established service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death.
- Claimed conditions
- cancer of the liver
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 31, 2019
- Citation
- 19107096
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,677 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 19107096.
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 remanded the claims for service connection for cancer of the liver, gall bladder, and lymph nodes due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology. The Veteran's active duty service is considered in determining whether there is a nexus between his disabilities and his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's cause of death, cirrhosis and cancer of the liver, is remanded for a new examination to determine if his alcohol abuse aggravated these conditions.
- Dismissed
The appeal is dismissed because the appellant died during the pendency of the appeal and thus, the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this case.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting medical opinions and the need for further examination regarding the Veteran's liver cancer and its connection to Camp Lejeune exposure.
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