The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking his death to his military service or exposure to Agent Orange.
The deciding factor: The post-service medical records did not show any link between the Veteran's death and his military service or exposure to herbicides used in Vietnam.
- Claimed conditions
- Acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Metabolic acidosis, Overwhelming sepsis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 3, 2009
- Citation
- 0928870
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 0928870.
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 Board has determined that the Veteran's acute lymphoblastic leukemia is at least as likely as not related to his in-service exposure to radiation, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error regarding the cause of death and whether acute lymphoblastic leukemia was caused by exposure to herbicide agents in service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to conflicting medical evidence and a need for further development regarding the etiology of the Veteran's congestive heart failure, anca vasculitis, kidney failure, metabolic acidosis, and diabetic nephropathy.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's death was not caused by or proximately due to VA medical treatment, and the Board finds that there is no evidence of fault on the part of VA. As a result, DIC compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 is denied.
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