The Board found that the veteran's death was due to hepatic, anoxic encephalopathy, which was not present during service or for many years thereafter and was not causally linked to service. Therefore, service connection for the cause of the veteran's death is denied.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of evidence showed that the veteran's fatal cardio-respiratory failure and irreversible coma were due to hepatic anoxic encephalopathy, which was not present during service or for many years thereafter and was not causally linked to service.
- Claimed conditions
- cardio-respiratory failure, irreversible coma, hepatic, anoxic encephalopathy
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 31, 2003
- Citation
- 0336794
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 0336794.
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 remanded the case due to the need for a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's cause of death is related to service, including exposure to herbicide agents. The issue will be reconsidered after further development.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for the cause of death and dependency and indemnity compensation due to new evidence received since the last denial. The Veteran's cause of death was attributed to complications from stage IV melanoma, which is presumed to have been caused by his in-service exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that liver cancer and lung cancer were not related to service. The Board also found that presumptive service connection for liver cancer due to herbicide exposure was not applicable.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's cause of death, cardio-respiratory failure and cerebrovascular accident-hemorrhage, were not caused by any incident of service. The claim for service connection was denied as there is no medical evidence showing a link between these conditions and his military service.
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.