The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for cause of death due to new and material evidence submitted by the appellant. The Veteran's cause of death was caused by gastrointestinal bleed, esophageal varices, hepatocellular carcinoma, end stage liver disease, and liver cirrhosis.,The appellant contends that the Veteran's hepatitis C may be related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus or due to herbicide exposure during service in Vietnam. The Board finds a remand necessary for an addendum opinion on both issues.
The deciding factor: New evidence submitted by the appellant raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim of service connection for cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastrointestinal bleed, Esophageal varices, Hepatocellular carcinoma, End stage liver disease, Liver cirrhosis
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 10, 2022
- Citation
- 22007752
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 22007752.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for cause of death due to end stage renal failure and end stage liver disease, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for cirrhosis, hepatitis C, hepatocellular carcinoma, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gastritis, Barrett's esophagus, and obstructive sleep apnea but dismissed the claim for an acquired psychiatric disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of the Veteran's cause of death to obtain an adequate medical opinion regarding the etiology of hepatocellular carcinoma and its relation to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including a low back disability, neck disability, nerve damage of the neck, back, and hip, liver cirrhosis, stroke, migraines, ovarian disability, heart disability, seizure disorder, and right ear disability.
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