The veteran died from heart attack (and/or congestive heart failure). The appeal is about service connection for the cause of death based on various theories.,Service connection may be granted for the cause of death if it was caused by exposure to herbicide agents during service in Vietnam, or due to ionizing radiation exposure during service. No such evidence has been provided.,Service connection may also be granted for the cause of death if it resulted from a disease subject to presumptive service connection as attributable to exposure to ionizing radiation during service. Again, no such evidence has been provided.,Service connection may be granted for the cause of death if it was due to hearing loss that manifested within one year after separation from service. No such evidence has been provided.,Service connection may also be granted for the cause of death based on status as a POW. The veteran served in Vietnam and is presumed to have been a POW, but no evidence has been provided showing he suffered any injuries or illnesses during captivity that led to his death.,Finally, service connection may be granted under 38 U.S.C.A. � 1318 for the cause of death if it resulted from a disability rated at 100 percent for more than ten years immediately preceding death.
The deciding factor: The appeal is about service connection for the cause of death based on various theories.,No evidence has been provided to support service connection due to herbicide exposure, ionizing radiation exposure, or hearing loss.,No evidence has been provided to support service connection due to presumptive conditions related to POW status or under 38 U.S.C.A. � 1318.,No evidence has been provided to support service connection based on hearing loss.,No evidence has been provided to support service connection based on POW status.,Evidence is lacking that the veteran's death was due to a disability rated at 100 percent for more than ten years immediately preceding his death.
- Claimed conditions
- heart attack, congestive heart failure
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 1, 2008
- Citation
- 0825894
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 0825894.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's eligibility for PCAFC benefits is remanded due to the AOJ's failure to address whether it is in the best interest of the Veteran to participate in the program. The Board finds that the Veteran has been in need of personal care services for at least six continuous months based on an inability to perform the ADL of bathing.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by or substantially contributed to by any service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection for cause of death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for atrial fibrillation, benign prostatic hypertrophy with outflow obstruction, congestive heart failure, and hypertension due to inadequate VA opinions. The Veteran's exposure during service is conceded to include asbestos and gas chamber exposures.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including psychiatric disorders, chronic fatigue, congestive heart failure, DM II, hypertension, and a right shoulder condition. The Veteran's claims were based on presumed exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
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