The Board denied service connection for cause of death, finding that the esophageal cancer was not caused by service-connected PTSD or presumptive exposure to herbicide agents in service.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show a causal link between the Veteran's service and his death from esophageal cancer due to known high-risk factors unassociated with service.
- Claimed conditions
- Esophageal cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 10, 2019
- Citation
- 19191772
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 19191772.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding no evidence linking his esophageal cancer to his military service, including exposure to Agent Orange.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for a new medical opinion regarding the Veteran's cause of death, specifically to address whether his esophageal cancer is related to his exposure to Camp Lejeune contaminated water.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for arthritis of multiple joints, esophageal cancer, liver cancer, stomach cancer, and urethral cancer due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's service or exposure at Camp Lejeune.
- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was not due to a service-connected disability. The Board found that the claimed disabilities (heart disease, diabetes, and esophageal cancer) were not related to his military service.
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