The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by or related to his service-connected malaria, and denied both claims for DIC benefits on the basis of cause of death and a claim under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.
The deciding factor: The underlying leukemia did not substantially contribute to the veteran's death, and there was no evidence that VA hospital care or treatment caused his death.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic myelogenous leukemia, respiratory failure, adult respiratory distress syndrome, cardiopulmonary failure
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 9, 2006
- Citation
- 0617004
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 0617004.
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 claim for a medical opinion on whether the Veteran's acute hypoxemia, respiratory failure, and pneumonia were related to service or toxic exposure under the PACT Act.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case to obtain additional evidence, including service treatment records and private medical records, and to obtain an addendum medical opinion regarding the Veteran's causes of death.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for chronic myelogenous leukemia based on the Veteran's presumed exposure to fine particulate matter during his service in Southwest Asia.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for chronic myelogenous leukemia, resolving all reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor and finding a nexus to his presumed herbicide exposure.
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