The veteran died from apparent peritonitis, which the VA physician opined was likely related to a bowel perforation. The death certificate and medical records do not support the claim that the veteran underwent colonscopic examination two days prior to his death.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence of a routine colonscopic examination on the date in question, and the VA physician's opinion is based on an unsupported account from the appellant.
- Claimed conditions
- Rectal carcinoma, Peritonitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 13, 2001
- Citation
- 0116126
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0116126.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that her service-connected PTSD contributed to her developing ovarian cancer which led to peritonitis and ultimately caused her death.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied DIC benefits, finding that VA did not cause the Veteran's death through negligence or error. The Veteran died from septic shock due to bowel perforation, which was a known risk of surgery but not caused by VA.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's death was due to peritonitis and perforated sigmoid diverticulitis, with significant conditions of COPD and stage IV esophageal cancer. The cause of these disabilities is not related to his military service or exposure to herbicides.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rate of SMC, for purposes of accrued benefits, was denied as the evidence did not support an assignment of an SMC rate in excess of the M-rate.
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