The veteran's death was due to cardio-pulmonary arrest and myocardial infarction. The Board denied service connection for the cause of death as not well grounded, and also denied eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA).
The deciding factor: Service connection could not be established as there was no evidence linking a respiratory or heart condition to service.
- Claimed conditions
- cardio-pulmonary arrest, massive antero-septal myocardial infarction
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 26, 2002
- Citation
- 0213078
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 0213078.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's service in the Republic of Vietnam is presumed, and thus his exposure to herbicides is also presumed. The decision now requires a medical opinion regarding whether these exposures are related to his cause of death.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an adequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's cause of death, including lung cancer and cardio-pulmonary arrest, to address in-service toxic exposures.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The appeal for service connection for the Veteran's cause of death is remanded. The Board needs more medical opinions to determine if the Veteran's cardio-pulmonary arrest or colon cancer were due to his exposure to herbicide agents during military service or caused by his Parkinson's disease.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for further examination and medical opinion regarding the Veteran's cause of death, specifically related to toxic chemical exposure at Fort McClellan.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.