The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for the cause of his death and for educational assistance benefits under Chapter 35, as there was no evidence to support these claims. The veteran died from multiple organ system failure due to perforated small bowel and radiation enteritis with an underlying condition of colon cancer, which were not related to service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the veteran did not have a service-connected disability at the time of his death, nor was he exposed to ionizing radiation during service. The evidence also showed no connection between the veteran's death and any service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Multiple organ system failure, Perforated small bowel, Radiation enteritis, Colon cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 1, 2007
- Citation
- 0712848
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 0712848.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected colon cancer disability, finding that there is inadequate evidence to support a compensable rating prior to March 23, 2021 and no increase in rating thereafter.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for colon cancer has been granted due to new and relevant evidence received since the previous denial. The Board finds that the Veteran's current disability is a condition that had its onset during his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for residuals of colon cancer is granted, with a new rating of 30 percent effective December 1, 2024. The claims for ratings in excess of 10 percent for two painful scars and for compensable ratings for four remaining scars are denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the cause of the Veteran's death, specifically concerning his bladder cancer and other cancers allegedly caused by exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
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