The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding no evidence linking his fatal laryngeal cancer, tracheostomy bleeding, or diabetes mellitus to his military service.,The Board also denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151, concluding that there was not enough evidence to show VA care caused the Veteran's death.
The deciding factor: There is no credible evidence linking the Veteran’s fatal laryngeal cancer, tracheostomy bleeding, or diabetes mellitus to his military service.,The Board found that the proximate cause of the Veteran's death was not related to VA care and treatment.
- Claimed conditions
- Advanced laryngeal cancer, Tracheostomy bleeding, Diabetes mellitus
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20081226
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.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the R(1) rate due to his need for regular aid and attendance.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, finding no evidence that his death was related to any injury or disease in service, including exposure to herbicide agents.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus, as the evidence did not support the need for insulin or episodes of ketoacidosis or hypoglycemic reactions requiring hospitalization.
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