The Board found that the cause of death was not due to a service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not establish an etiological relationship between the veteran's death and his military service or any service-connected condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Pneumonia, Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, Chronic refractory anemia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 26, 2000
- Citation
- 0019509
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 0019509.
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 case to obtain an adequate opinion regarding the Veteran's cause of death, specifically addressing toxic exposures during service and submitted medical literature.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a VA examination to address all respiratory disabilities found or shown during the appeal period and to determine their relationship to service, including exposure to toxic or environmental hazards.
- Granted
The Board granted compensation pursuant to 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for the cause of the Veteran's death, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the appellant.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, pneumonia, and a right ankle condition due to a pre-decision duty to assist error.
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