The Veteran's death was caused by a subarachnoid hemorrhage, which is presumed to be due to exposure to Agent Orange. The myocardial infarction (heart attack) that contributed to the Veteran's death is also presumptively service-connected as it falls under the criteria for IHD in Vietnam veterans.
The deciding factor: The Veteran had confirmed service in the Republic of Vietnam and his heart condition, including myocardial infarction, is subject to presumptive service connection due to exposure to herbicide agents like Agent Orange.
- Claimed conditions
- Subarachnoid hemorrhage, Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 23, 2016
- Citation
- 1625367
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 1625367.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of ambulance travel expenses incurred on June 17, 2025 due to an emergency heart attack. The ambulance service was provided by a volunteer organization and later intercepted by a higher-tier EMT company.
- Granted
The Board has granted the recognition of T. as the Veteran's dependent child based on permanent incapacity for self-support prior to attaining the age of 18, finding that T. was permanently incapable of self-support due to his disabilities before reaching 18 years old.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's causes of death, including whether in-service chest pain and headaches are related to current heart conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's death was not caused by VA care, but the cause of his death (acute subdural hemorrhage) is not related to service. The Board has remanded for additional information on the cause of death.
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