The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, entitlement to accrued benefits, and basic eligibility for non-service connected VA pension benefits. The decision found that there was no evidence linking the veteran's death to any service-connected condition or exposure.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the veteran did not have a recognized service connection at the time of his death and that he did not have pending claims for accrued benefits or non-service connected VA pension benefits. The cause of death, asphyxia due to drowning, was not linked to any service-connected condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Asphyxia, Drowning
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 18, 2004
- Citation
- 0428559
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 0428559.
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 has remanded the case due to a failure in obtaining a final death certificate and autopsy report, which are necessary for determining the cause of the Veteran's death.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not due to his own willful misconduct, and therefore the presumption of service connection for the cause of death applies. The Veteran died from drowning while on active duty.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his death was not due to willful misconduct and was incurred in the line of duty.
- Denied
The Board denied the reopening of a claim for service connection for the cause of death due to lack of new and material evidence, as neither the immediate nor contributing causes of death are shown to be related to herbicide exposure.
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