The Board found that the cause of the veteran's death, glioblastoma multiforme, was unrelated to his service-connected encephalopathy. The Board denied the claim as the service-connected disability did not contribute substantially or materially to the cause of death.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the service-connected encephalopathy did not cause or contribute substantially or materially to the veteran's death due to glioblastoma multiforme, which was found unrelated to his head injury and treatment.
- Claimed conditions
- Encephalopathy, Glioblastoma Multiforme, Prostate Carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 15, 2004
- Citation
- 0419047
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 999 · Granted: 31% (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 0419047.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for the Veteran's cause of death and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation under 38 USC 1318 due to a need for a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's causes of death, considering toxic exposure at Camp Lejeune.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error, requiring an additional VA medical opinion regarding the cause of the Veteran's death.
- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was attributed to diabetes mellitus type II, which resulted in hypoglycemia. The Board found that there is no evidence to support the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during service or at any other time, and thus denied service connection for the cause of death on this basis. Additionally, DIC benefits were not granted as the Veteran was not rated as totally disabled due to a service-connected disability prior to his death.
- Granted
The Veteran's death was caused by encephalopathy, which is linked to his exposure to Agent Orange during service. The appeal for DIC based on service connection for the cause of death is granted. The appeal for accrued benefits is dismissed as all claims have been addressed.
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.