The Board found that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the previously denied claim for service connection for cause of death. The Veteran's death was attributed to multiple organ failure due to coronary artery disease, with contributory factors including cardiovascular disease, hepatitis, alcohol consumption, and Agent Orange exposure.
The deciding factor: The new evidence did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim for service connection for cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- multiple organ failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomegaly, pulmonary hypertension, thrombosis of pulmonary arteries, organizing pneumonia, pulmonary edema and congestion, hepatomegaly with passive congestion of the liver, chronic persistent hepatitis, cholestasis, jaundice, absent spleen (status post splenectomy), renal insufficiency by history, chronic pyelenonephritis, cardiovascular disease, anemia due to undefined hemolysis requiring splenectomy and bowel resection in 1987 with complication of myocardial infarction (MI) during this procedure, irritable bowel syndrome, Hepatitis C, alcohol consumption
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 23, 2010
- Citation
- 1010955
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1010955.
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: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for coronary artery disease is being remanded due to the inadequacy of a previous VA examination.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for coronary artery disease, hypertension, and stroke as there was no evidence of herbicide agent exposure during service and the medical opinions were against a nexus to service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service connection claim for coronary artery disease with myocardial infarction is granted on a presumptive basis due to exposure to herbicide agents during his active duty in Korea.
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