The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his liver disease and failure to thrive were not related to service or a service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: There was no medical evidence linking the Veteran’s alcohol abuse or failure to thrive to a service-connected disability, including PTSD.
- Claimed conditions
- aspiration, liver disease, failure to thrive
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20036819
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 20036819.
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 service connection for cause of death and accrued benefits due to lack of timely filing.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for liver disease, including cirrhosis, MASH, and metabolic syndrome due to inadequate medical opinions. The case is being returned to the AOJ for a new VA examination by a specialist in liver diseases.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection for various conditions, including type 2 diabetes mellitus and its secondary effects. The Veteran's death during the appeal process means that no decision can be made on these claims.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for liver disease, attributing the denial to a lack of current diagnosis and inconsistency in medical records regarding the Veteran's claimed condition.
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