The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and he did not meet the criteria for DIC benefits based on his total disability rating prior to his death.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was no evidence linking the cause of death (metastatic liver cancer) to any service-connected condition or period of active duty service.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic liver cancer, chronic hepatitis C, cirrhosis of the liver
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20006214
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 appeals for service connection for various conditions were dismissed due to the Veteran's death.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for cirrhosis of the liver, finding that it was due to herbicide exposure during the Veteran's service in Vietnam.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial rating of 40 percent for hepatitis C and cirrhosis of the liver, but denied earlier effective dates for service connection and a higher rating for tinnitus.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 100 percent for lung cancer but granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance, effective December 7, 2022.
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