The Board denied the claim for dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) benefits based upon service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, as the evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran's IHD was a principal or contributing cause to his left ventricular failure, respiratory failure, metastatic disease, or liver cancer.
The deciding factor: The August 2018 and June 2020 VA medical opinions found that the Veteran's IHD did not contribute substantially or materially to his death, as there was no evidence of active symptoms related to CAD or IHD at the time of his death, and liver cancer was more likely the principal cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- left ventricular failure, respiratory failure, metastatic disease, liver cancer
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 13, 2025
- Citation
- A25042698
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical opinion on whether the Veteran's acute hypoxemia, respiratory failure, and pneumonia were related to service or toxic exposure under the PACT Act.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for cancer of the hip bone and liver cancer is dismissed due to the Veteran's death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case to obtain additional evidence, including service treatment records and private medical records, and to obtain an addendum medical opinion regarding the Veteran's causes of death.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for gastrointestinal cancer other than esophageal cancer and stomach cancer, brain cancer, and prostate cancer. The issues of entitlement to service connection for esophageal cancer, metastatic esophageal cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer, and liver cancer were remanded.
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