The Veteran's cause of death was not related to his military service, and he did not meet the criteria for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service records do not show any duty assignments in Vietnam, Korea, or at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, where exposure to herbicides could be presumed.
- Claimed conditions
- cancer of the abdomen, esophagus, liver, brain, spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 7, 2023
- Citation
- 23065125
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 23065125.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's seizures are granted as secondary to the service-connected scar tissue from a 1969 head surgery.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hernia, brain tumor, heart, esophagus, kidney, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and thyroid. The claim for bilateral hearing loss was remanded.
- Granted
An earlier effective date of October 31, 2019, is granted for the Veteran's total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and basic eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claim due to inadequate medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected spine and lower extremity disabilities caused or contributed to his death by respiratory failure and pulmonary fibrosis.
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