The Board determined that the cause of the veteran's death was not related to his service-connected condition, discogenic disease of the lumbosacral spine. The appellant's claim for DIC benefits based on the cause of the veteran's death is therefore denied.
The deciding factor: Service connection could not be established as the cause of death (acute myeloid leukemia) was not shown to have been caused by a service-connected condition, and there was no evidence linking any other significant conditions contributing to death with service.
- Claimed conditions
- Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Pneumonia, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), Ventricular Fibrillation
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 2, 2007
- Citation
- 0719894
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 0719894.
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 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: Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that none of the listed causes were related to his military service and no service-connected disability contributed to his death.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service personnel records, which may affect the Veteran's cause of death claim.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for acute myeloid leukemia is being remanded due to a duty to assist error. The AOJ needs to obtain an updated medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's AML, including its relationship to in-service herbicide exposure.
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