The Board found no new and material evidence to reopen the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.
The deciding factor: No new and material evidence was presented that could establish a link between any of the veteran's service-connected disabilities or known pre-existing conditions with his death.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic carcinoma of the liver, probably colon, severe anemia
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 24, 2003
- Citation
- 0305468
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,467 · Granted: 18% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0305468.
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 Veteran's diagnosed myelofibrosis with severe anemia was more likely caused by his presumed exposure to herbicide agents while serving in Vietnam. Service connection for this condition is granted.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to several issues, including substitution of the appellant for his deceased mother's DIC claim and verification of the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam. The cause of death is unknown as it was not addressed by the original decision.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's death was caused by cardiopulmonary arrest due to hypovolemic shock, which is not service-connected. However, his lung cancer, a condition associated with herbicide exposure, is considered presumptively related to his service in Vietnam.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's cause of death was related to his service, including herbicide agent exposure and PTSD.
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.