The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and granted it, finding that new evidence supports a determination that ischemic heart disease contributed to the Veteran's death. The cause of death was listed as extensive enzymatic fat necrosis of the abdomen due to acute post-traumatic necrotizing pancreatitis and status post left nephrectomy.
The deciding factor: The amended Certificate of Death lists ischemic heart disease as the immediate cause of death, which is a disability for which the presumption of service connection applies based on herbicide exposure in Vietnam.
- Claimed conditions
- extensive enzymatic fat necrosis of the abdomen, acute post-traumatic necrotizing pancreatitis, status post left nephrectomy, ischemic heart disease
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 29, 2015
- Citation
- 1504297
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 1504297.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart condition, including ischemic heart disease. The evidence did not support a finding of a current disability related to service.
- Granted
The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is granted as presumptively related to his service in the Gulf War, specifically aboard the USS Chanticleer and USS Mataco.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, right lower extremity peripheral artery disease, left lower extremity peripheral artery disease, and hypertension as the evidence did not establish an in-service event or exposure to herbicide agents.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a heart disability prior to his death is granted as he was entitled to accrued benefits due to the September 1994 claim, which included ischemic heart disease, a covered herbicide disease.
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