The Board has determined that the veteran's death was caused by malnutrition and beriberi, which are presumed to have been incurred during his service as a POW. As such, the cause of the veteran's death is considered service-connected.
The deciding factor: Competent medical evidence linked the causes of the veteran's death to his military experiences as a POW, including malnutrition and beriberi, which were in excess of 30 days.
- Claimed conditions
- malnutrition, beriberi
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 7, 2003
- Citation
- 0306611
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,977 · Granted: 27% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0306611.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to lack of evidence linking the Veteran's carcinoma of the pharynx to his service or a service-connected disability, and there was no indication that the cancer was related to herbicide exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including psychiatric disorders and musculoskeletal issues, due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board denied service connection for a disability manifested by malnutrition and remanded the issues of ratings in excess of 10 percent for left and right wrist strains, service connection for dizziness, and service connection for left foot plantar fasciitis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal includes multiple conditions, and the Board has determined that additional medical opinions are needed to address the nature and etiology of these conditions. The issues on appeal have been remanded for further action.
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