The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that none of the Veteran's service-connected conditions were a principle or contributory cause of his death. The Board concluded that arteriosclerosis was not a contributing factor to his death and that the esophageal cancer and liver failure were not related to his service.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of evidence did not show any service-connected condition as a principal or contributory cause of the Veteran's death, with arteriosclerosis being added posthumously without explanation and not considered by the medical opinions.
- Claimed conditions
- Liver failure, Stage IV esophageal carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 20, 2021
- Citation
- 21031172
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 21031172.
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 Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and therefore DIC benefits are denied.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the VA Regional Office (RO) made pre-decisional errors in denying the appellant's claims for service connection for cause of death and entitlement to survivor's pension. The case is being remanded for further development, including obtaining evidence regarding the appellant's status as a surviving spouse and the Veteran's wartime service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the VA Regional Office (RO) made pre-decisional errors in denying the appellant's claims for service connection for cause of death and entitlement to survivor's pension. The case is being remanded for further development, including obtaining evidence regarding the appellant's status as a surviving spouse and the Veteran's wartime service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the VA Regional Office (RO) made pre-decisional errors in denying the appellant's claims for service connection for cause of death and entitlement to survivor's pension. The case is being remanded for further development, including obtaining evidence regarding the appellant's status as a surviving spouse and the Veteran's wartime service.
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