The Board has granted the appellant's claim to reopen service connection for cause of death, finding that the Veteran's gastric carcinoma (stomach cancer) is a result of his in-service exposure to Agent Orange. As this condition is considered a service-connected disability, it was determined as the immediate cause of the Veteran's death.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's gastric carcinoma is attributable to his in-service exposure to Agent Orange and thus constitutes a service-connected disability, leading to its determination as the immediate cause of his death.
- Claimed conditions
- gastric carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 5, 2023
- Citation
- 23020934
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 23020934.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's death was caused by gastric carcinoma, which the Board found to be related to his exposure to herbicide agents in service. As a result, DIC benefits are granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's cause of death is remanded for a VA opinion to determine the cause(s) and whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's gastric carcinoma, and/or any other determined cause of death, is directly related to service, including herbicide exposure. The DIC claim is also remanded due to its inextricability with the cause of death claim.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death due to lack of evidence linking any service-connected disability or exposure to contaminants, radiation, asbestos, or contaminated drinking water to his gastric carcinoma.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection were dismissed as the claims are moot due to his death.
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