The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of liver cancer is denied as the earliest eligible effective date is March 14, 2017, when the law was changed to add liver cancer as a condition presumed to be associated with exposure to chemicals at Camp Lejeune.
The deciding factor: The effective date is fixed in accordance with the facts found and shall not be earlier than the effective date of the liberalizing law that allows presumptive service connection for liver cancer based on exposure to chemicals at Camp Lejeune.
- Claimed conditions
- liver cancer
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19141934
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for cancer of the hip bone and liver cancer is dismissed due to the Veteran's death.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for gastrointestinal cancer other than esophageal cancer and stomach cancer, brain cancer, and prostate cancer. The issues of entitlement to service connection for esophageal cancer, metastatic esophageal cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer, and liver cancer were remanded.
- Granted
The Board grants an earlier effective date of March 24, 2023, for the awards of service connection for lung cancer, kidney cancer, and liver cancer.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for colon cancer, liver cancer, and prostate cancer due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
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.