The Veteran's death was due to cardiorespiratory arrest and metastatic pancreatic cancer. The service-connected right hand disability is not considered a contributory cause of death, as there is no evidence linking the right hand condition to the Veteran's cancer or death.
The deciding factor: There is no competent medical evidence showing that the Veteran's service-connected right hand disability materially affected a vital organ or contributed to his death from metastatic pancreatic cancer and cardiorespiratory arrest.
- Claimed conditions
- cardiorespiratory arrest, metastatic pancreatic cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 20, 2009
- Citation
- 0931242
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 0931242.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's death was caused by cardiorespiratory arrest and metastatic esophageal cancer. The appellant is recognized as the surviving spouse, but service connection for cause of death remains pending due to insufficient information on in-service exposure to herbicide agents.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's metastatic pancreatic cancer, which was service-connected, substantially and materially contributed to his death. Therefore, service connection for cause of death is granted.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that there was no evidence linking the Veteran's cardiorespiratory arrest to his military service or a service-connected disability.
- Denied
The Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and the Board found insufficient evidence to establish a connection between his conditions and his military service.
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