Veterans’ RightsAn independent resource for veterans
← All decisions
Whole decision: Denied

The Board denied the appellant's request to reopen her claim for service connection for the cause of death due to lack of new and material evidence, including regarding exposure to herbicides during service.

The deciding factor: The appellant did not provide new and material evidence showing that the Veteran may have been exposed to herbicides during service or causally related to his conditions.

Claimed conditions
diabetes mellitus, hypertension, coronary artery disease
How they argued it
Reopened with new and material evidence
Exposure basis
None
Rating
Not verified here — check the original decision
Decision date
December 20, 2016
Citation
1647350

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 1647350.

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.

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.