The Board denied service connection for lung cancer and dismissed the appeal for esophageal cancer, for purposes of accrued benefits and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits based on cause of death. The claims for service connection for lymph node cancer and liver cancer were remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show a current disability of lung cancer during the Veteran's lifetime, and there was no valid appeal for esophageal cancer under the new AMA framework due to concurrent appeals being prohibited. A VA medical opinion is needed to assess whether the Veteran had diagnosed disabilities of lymph node and liver cancer related to herbicide agent exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- Esophageal cancer, for purposes of accrued benefits and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits based on cause of death, Liver cancer, Lung cancer, Lymph node cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 12, 2025
- Citation
- A25042295
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,200 · Granted: 43% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A25042295.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's headache disability is granted as service-connected. The left foot condition and lung cancer claims are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his lung cancer and military service. The Board also found insufficient evidence to establish service connection for lung cancer.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's cause of death is being remanded due to a duty to assist error that occurred prior to the rating decision on appeal. The Board must obtain additional medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's bladder cancer, which was service-connected as a result of contaminated water exposure at Camp Lejeune, contributed substantially or materially to his cause of death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding the Veteran's exposure to radiation during his service. The AOJ is required to seek records from U.S. Army Medical Command for occupational exposure to ionizing radiation at various locations including Sandia Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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