The Veteran's liver disorder and skin cancer (basal cell carcinoma and actinic keratosis) were found to be related to his military service. However, the Veteran's liver disorder was not linked to herbicide exposure in Vietnam.
The deciding factor: VA medical records showed that the Veteran had a history of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and cirrhosis, which is more likely than not due to his risk factors including obesity and metabolic issues rather than service connection. The skin cancer (basal cell carcinoma and actinic keratosis) was found to be related to his military service exposure to sunburns in Vietnam.
- Claimed conditions
- {"condition_name":"Liver Disorder","claimed_conditions":["Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease","Cirrhosis"]}, {"condition_name":"Skin Cancer","claimed_conditions":["Basal cell carcinoma","Actinic keratosis"]}
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19190202
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 19190202.
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
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