The Veteran died of colon cancer, but the Board found that VA's care and treatment did not cause or contribute to his death. The claim for DIC benefits is denied.
The deciding factor: VA medical opinions concluded there was no fault on the part of the VA providers who treated the Veteran in October 2004 and September 2009, and the standard of care he received at VA was not negatively impacted.
- Claimed conditions
- Colon cancer, Diverticulitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 6, 2020
- Citation
- 20031912
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20031912.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected colon cancer disability, finding that there is inadequate evidence to support a compensable rating prior to March 23, 2021 and no increase in rating thereafter.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for GERD is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and correction of duty to assist errors.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for colon cancer has been granted due to new and relevant evidence received since the previous denial. The Board finds that the Veteran's current disability is a condition that had its onset during his military service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a gastrointestinal condition, to include GERD as secondary to his service-connected PTSD with alcohol use disorder. The evidence is in approximate balance concerning whether the Veteran's gastrointestinal condition is caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.
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