The veteran's cause of death was listed as undetermined, with prostate cancer being a significant condition. The Board found no evidence linking the prostate cancer to service and denied service connection for the cause of death. The appellant is not eligible for nonservice-connected death pension benefits due to her husband's type of service. There is no legal entitlement to accrued benefits.
The deciding factor: The veteran did not have a service-connected disability at the time of his death, and there was no evidence linking prostate cancer to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Prostate cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 11, 2008
- Citation
- 0801216
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 0801216.
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: Granted
The Veteran's arteriosclerotic heart disease is rated at 100% effective October 25, 2024. His prostate cancer residuals are rated at 60% effective October 25, 2024.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder and prostate cancer are granted service connection, with the latter requiring a VA examination to address exposure to burn pits.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss in the right ear has been denied. The Board found that there is no current diagnosis of right ear hearing loss and thus, cannot establish a link to service. For prostate cancer, the Veteran's claim is remanded as VA did not provide an opinion regarding whether his condition may be related to service due to toxic exposure.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's prostate cancer residuals prior to January 5, 2026 are rated at 10 percent. From January 5, 2026, the Veteran is granted a 20 percent rating for his prostate cancer residuals. The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is not compensable.
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