The Veteran's death was caused by end stage renal disease and liver failure, but there is no evidence to support a connection between these conditions and his active service. The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence linking the Veteran's cause of death (end stage renal disease and liver failure) to his active service or any presumptive exposure to herbicides.
- Claimed conditions
- end stage renal disease, cirrhosis of the liver, chronic hepatitis
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 26, 2017
- Citation
- 1748220
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1748220.
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.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for cirrhosis of the liver has been dismissed due to their death during the pendency of the appeal.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for hepatitis C and its secondary effects on other conditions, including cirrhosis of the liver, diabetes mellitus type II, esophageal varices, hepatic encephalopathy, and splenomegaly.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death, finding that none of the conditions listed on his death certificate were related to his military service or exposure to herbicide agents.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for leukemia, thrombocytopenia, and bone marrow transplant with acquired agranulocytosis. The Veteran's Fanconi anemia is not considered a service-connected condition due to its congenital nature. Service connection was also denied for hepatocarcinoma and cirrhosis of the liver.
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