The veteran's death was not caused by VA treatment, but the failure to inform him of a chest X-ray finding that could have led to an earlier diagnosis and treatment for his multiple myeloma. The Board found this did not cause a significant change in outcome.
The deciding factor: The VA physician concluded that the failure to diagnose the veteran's preexisting condition (multiple myeloma) on January 18, 1999 did not result in a significantly different medical course and therefore was not the proximate cause of his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Multiple Myeloma, Heart Failure
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 17, 2006
- Citation
- 0620737
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,242 · Granted: 24% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0620737.
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 Veteran's multiple myeloma is rated as noncompensable, and the Board has determined that the disability picture does not adequately contemplate his symptoms of fatigue. The VA examiner noted marked interference with employment due to fatigue. Therefore, the claim for an increased rating is remanded for consideration of extraschedular considerations.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's death was caused by his conditions (Ventricular Fibrillation, Cardiac Arrest, and Heart Failure), which the Board finds may have been exacerbated or worsened due to VA treatment. The Board is remanding the case for a new medical opinion to determine if VA negligence contributed to the Veteran's death.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's death was caused by multiple myeloma, which is presumed to be related to his exposure to herbicide agents in Thailand during the Vietnam War. The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death based on this presumption.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to December 2023 is remanded due to the presence of a 100% disability rating for multiple myeloma starting from December 21, 2023. The Board finds that the Veteran has not met the schedular criteria for a schedular TDIU rating and refers the case for extraschedular consideration.
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