The Veteran's death was attributed to intraoperative bleeding due to splenectomy, which was not caused by his service-connected conditions. The Board found that the service-connected disabilities did not cause or contribute substantially to the Veteran's death.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities were either the principal or contributory cause of his death.
- Claimed conditions
- cirrhosis of the liver, thrombocytopenia, hypersplenism
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 28, 2017
- Citation
- 1754343
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 1754343.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for blood cancer, leukemia, eye disorder, myelodysplastic syndrome, and thrombocytopenia due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated by his military service. The case is remanded for further development.
- 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.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for myeloproliferative disorder and thrombocytopenia, related to in-service radiation exposure during Operation Tomodachi, are being remanded due to the need for a VA examination. The issues of entitlement to a temporary total disability rating due to hospitalization or treatment for a service-connected condition requiring convalescence are also being remanded as they are inextricably intertwined with the service connection claims.
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