The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and there is no evidence of exposure to herbicides. The cause of death was listed as squamous cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder, which may be presumed to have been caused by Agent Orange exposure.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran died from squamous cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder, a condition presumed to be related to his service in Vietnam and exposure to herbicides. However, there was no evidence linking this specific cancer to his service-connected conditions or any other service connection claim.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 16, 2012
- Citation
- 1239269
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 1239269.
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 Veteran's cause of death was not attributed to a service-connected disability. The Board found no evidence linking the bladder cancer to his active duty service, and denied both the claim for service connection and the accrued benefits claim based on service connection.
- Granted
The Board of Veterans' Appeals has granted service connection for PTSD and Mood Disorders, both presumed conditions under the PACT Act.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- Granted
Service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is granted. The appeal as to the issue of entitlement to service connection for erectile dysfunction is dismissed.
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.