The Board finds that the Veteran's cause of death, sepsis due to aspiration pneumonitis, was not caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities or any incident in service. The most probative evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's brain tumor, which contributed to his death, was related to his cold exposure during service.
The deciding factor: The April 2011 VA opinion concluded that the Veteran's cold weather exposure while serving in the Arctic Circle did not cause or contribute substantially to his fatal aspiration pneumonitis and sepsis. The Board also found that the private medical opinions were speculative and inconclusive regarding a causal relationship between the Veteran's brain tumor and service.
- Claimed conditions
- sepsis, aspiration pneumonitis, brain tumor, cerebral edema
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 9, 2011
- Citation
- 1145156
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 1145156.
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 Veteran's cause of death, kidney cancer, is not service-connected. The Board found that the Veteran's cause of death was not related to his military service or a service-connected disability.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's cause of death, metastatic lung cancer, was found to be related to service and caused or contributed substantially to the Veteran's death. The Board granted entitlement to service connection for the Veteran's cause of death.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's lung cancer and brain tumor are granted service connection, while his basal cell carcinoma (claimed as multiple myeloma) is denied. The Board found no evidence of herbicide exposure in Guam or elsewhere during active duty.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals of the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, lumbar spine disability, and brain tumor as no longer pending due to the cancellation of hearings and the granting of service connection for a back disability.
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