The Veteran's cause of death was not due to service-connected conditions, and his esophageal cancer did not meet the criteria for presumptive service connection based on exposure to herbicides. The Board denied both the claim for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 and the claim for service connection for the Veteran's cause of death.
The deciding factor: The intercurrent disease (esophageal cancer metastasizing to pleural effusion) caused the Veteran's lung cancer, which was not due to his service-connected conditions or exposure to herbicides in Vietnam.
- Claimed conditions
- Esophageal Adenocarcinoma, Adenocarcinoma in Pleural Effusion, Opacity Left Upper Lobe of the Lung
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 8, 2021
- Citation
- A21019560
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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation A21019560.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection for PTSD and found that esophageal adenocarcinoma was not related to service. The cause of death due to esophageal adenocarcinoma is also denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's low back disability alone rendered him unemployable from April 4, 2010 to August 1, 2017. The Board granted TDIU based on this condition during these periods.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's cause of death, a pulmonary embolism and esophageal adenocarcinoma, was not attributable to his service or any incident thereof, including exposures to ionizing radiation. The Board also determined that no disability for which he was service-connected at the time of his death was a principal or contributing cause of his death, nor could it be presumed due to exposure to herbicides or ionizing radiation.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death claimed as secondary to in-service smoking and denied entitlement to Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA).
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.