The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, which was due to end stage liver disease. The claim for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 is dismissed as moot.
The deciding factor: The private medical opinion provided significant probative value in supporting the conclusion that the Veteran's liver disability began during service and was a contributing factor to his death, leading to the grant of service connection for the cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- Liver disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 8, 2024
- Citation
- 24001080
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.
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The Board denied service connection for liver disease, erectile dysfunction and BPH, and an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include anxiety and depression.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case for an additional medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's liver disease, specifically to determine if it was aggravated by a service-connected disability.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
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