The Veteran's cause of death was attributed to hepatorenal failure and Laennec's cirrhosis, but neither condition is service-connected as the evidence does not support a finding that either condition was incurred or aggravated by military service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not have any service-connected disabilities at the time of his death. The Board found no evidence to link the Veteran’s hepatorenal failure and Laennec's cirrhosis to military service, including exposure to Agent Orange or toxic chemicals during service on board the USS Forrestal.
- Claimed conditions
- Laennec's cirrhosis, hepatorenal failure
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 0%
- Decision date
- March 1, 2011
- Citation
- 1108139
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 1108139.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected condition, and therefore denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death.
- Denied
The Board found that the cause of the veteran's death, Laennec's cirrhosis due to alcoholism, was not related to his service and denied the claim for service connection.
- Denied
The Board found that the evidence did not show or tend to show that service-connected disabilities materially contributed to or caused the veteran's death. The decision regarding TDIU was not determined as it is a separate issue.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.