The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death due to new and material evidence submitted. The service-connected diabetes mellitus is found to have contributed substantially or materially to the veteran's death.
The deciding factor: A VA physician opined that the service-connected diabetes mellitus likely contributed substantially to the veteran's death by several mechanisms: acidosis, atherosclerosis leading to cardiac arrest, and the debilitating metabolic effects of the disease.
- Claimed conditions
- Diabetes mellitus, Thyroid cancer
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- April 1, 2003
- Citation
- 0306207
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 0306207.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the R(1) rate due to his need for regular aid and attendance.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, finding no evidence that his death was related to any injury or disease in service, including exposure to herbicide agents.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a back disability, and remanded claims for respiratory condition, cataracts, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension.
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