The Board has denied DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 as the Veteran's death was not caused by VA care, treatment or examination.
The deciding factor: The April 2020 VA examiner concluded that the Veteran’s death was coincidental to his VA treatment and did not result from any fault on behalf of VA.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 18, 2020
- Citation
- 20041584
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 20041584.
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 claim for service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his military service and the cancer.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to obtain and maintain gainful employment, warranting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx was granted with an effective date of March 31, 2014. The Board found that no earlier effective date is warranted as the evidence did not support such a finding.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for increased disability rating and service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.
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