The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was caused by gastrointestinal bleeding and anemia, but it is unclear if this was related to his service-connected left knee disability or other conditions. The case is being remanded for further medical opinions regarding these issues.
The deciding factor: The cause of death involves multiple factors including the Veteran's service-connected left knee condition and potential contributory causes such as coronary artery disease and hypertension, which may be related to herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastrointestinal bleeding, Anemia, Acute hemorrhage, Peptic ulcer disease, Cirrhosis of the liver
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 26, 2015
- Citation
- 1545447
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 1545447.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that there is no evidence to support a causal relationship between the Veteran's military service and his death from gastrointestinal bleeding and hypertensive cardiovascular disease.
- Granted
The Veteran's hemorrhoids were rated at 20 percent from June 13, 2011. The Board found that the evidence demonstrated persistent bleeding and anemia secondary to the hemorrhoids throughout this period.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for Hepatitis C and Cirrhosis of the liver were dismissed due to procedural deficiencies. The claims of entitlement to service connection for arrhythmia, chronic kidney disease, and bilateral lower extremity non-diabetic peripheral neuropathy are remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's effective date for SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance is set to March 11, 2021. He was granted a higher level of SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(p) at level (n).
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