The Veteran died of head and neck cancer, which the VA has determined was caused by exposure to environmental hazards during his service in Kuwait. The Board granted service connection for the cause of death based on this determination.
The deciding factor: The private medical opinion linked the Veteran's death from head and neck cancer to his reported exposure to environmental hazards during his service in Kuwait, which is consistent with his active duty service in the Persian Gulf.
- Claimed conditions
- head and neck cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 17, 2023
- Citation
- 23002592
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 23002592.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's death was due to carcinoma esophagus, with head and neck cancer noted as significant conditions. The Board found that the evidence does not support a connection between in-service herbicide agent exposure and the Veteran's cause of death.
- Denied
The Veteran's head and neck cancer, diagnosed as mammary analogue secretory carcinoma, was not incurred in service and is not presumed to have been incurred in service. The Board denied the claim for service connection.
- Granted
The Veteran's cause of death, head and neck cancer, was previously granted service connection. Therefore, the Board has granted service connection for the cause of death.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of death due to metastatic skin cancer and head and neck cancer, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to military service or any service-connected disabilities.
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