The Veteran's cause of death was not service-connected, and the appellant is not eligible for nonservice-connected death pension benefits or accrued benefits.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence showing that any of the conditions contributing to the Veteran's death were incurred in or aggravated by his military service. The Veteran did not have qualifying service under VA regulations for nonservice-connected death pension benefits, and there was no pending claim at the time of his death for accrued benefits.
- Claimed conditions
- cardio-pulmonary arrest, sepsis secondary to hospital acquired pneumonia, complicated urinary tract infection, transitional cell carcinoma of urinary bladder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 29, 2009
- Citation
- 0936972
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 0936972.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's service in the Republic of Vietnam is presumed, and thus his exposure to herbicides is also presumed. The decision now requires a medical opinion regarding whether these exposures are related to his cause of death.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an adequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's cause of death, including lung cancer and cardio-pulmonary arrest, to address in-service toxic exposures.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The appeal for service connection for the Veteran's cause of death is remanded. The Board needs more medical opinions to determine if the Veteran's cardio-pulmonary arrest or colon cancer were due to his exposure to herbicide agents during military service or caused by his Parkinson's disease.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for further examination and medical opinion regarding the Veteran's cause of death, specifically related to toxic chemical exposure at Fort McClellan.
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