The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are not shown to have caused or materially contributed to the cause of his death from disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, septicemia, and febrile neutropenia resulting from acute myeloid leukemia. The Board denied both the claim for service connection for the cause of death and non-service connected death pension benefits.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not involve active processes affecting vital organs and did not result in debilitating effects or general impairment of health to an extent that would render him materially less capable of resisting the leukemia and attendant complications which caused his death.
- Claimed conditions
- disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, septicemia, febrile neutropenia, acute myeloid leukemia (AML), gastritis, enterocolitis with diarrhea and bloody stools, irritable bowel syndrome, acne, anemia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 6, 2015
- Citation
- 1519410
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1519410.
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.
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- Whole decision: Denied
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- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that remand is needed for the Veteran's claims due to duty to assist errors, including clarification of periods of service and obtaining relevant records. The Veteran will be afforded new medical examinations for each claimed disability.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's eligibility for PCAFC benefits is remanded due to the AOJ's failure to address whether it is in the best interest of the Veteran to participate in the program. The Board finds that the Veteran has been in need of personal care services for at least six continuous months based on an inability to perform the ADL of bathing.
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