The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his amyloidosis was causally related to his exposure to Agent Orange in service and contributed to his death. The claims for accrued benefits and improved death pension were denied as a matter of law.
The deciding factor: The VA physician concluded that the veteran's amyloidosis was causally related to his exposure to Agent Orange, and that it materially contributed to cause or hastened the veteran's death.
- Claimed conditions
- Amyloidosis, Cirrhosis of the liver due to thrombocytopenia, due to hepatitis C
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 20, 2009
- Citation
- 0910479
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,699 · Granted: 17% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0910479.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
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 claim for service connection for the cause of his death, finding that there was no evidence of radiation exposure or participation in a radiation-risk activity during his active service. The Board also found that the Veteran's conditions did not have a causal connection to his military service.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was caused by his underlying conditions of multiple myeloma and amyloidosis, which are at least in equipoise with exposure to benzene during service. The claim for service connection for cause of death is granted.
- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and the Board finds no evidence to support claims for radiation or herbicide agent exposure. The Board also found insufficient evidence linking the Veteran's amyloidosis and subsequent congestive heart failure and restrictive cardiomyopathy to his in-service asbestos exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete VA examination and a need for additional opinions regarding the cause of the Veteran's death, specifically whether it is related to in-service asbestos exposure.
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