The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death was not related to his active military service, including exposure to asbestos or non-ionizing radiation. The Board also found no evidence of VA negligence in diagnosing and treating the Veteran.
The deciding factor: There is no direct evidence linking the Veteran’s cause of death (heart failure and metastatic colon cancer) to his military service, including exposure to asbestos or ionizing radiation.
- Claimed conditions
- Heart failure, Metastatic colon cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 12, 2018
- Citation
- 1802877
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 1802877.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate evaluation by the Centralized Eligibility and Appeals Team (CEAT) regarding the Veteran's eligibility for PCAFC enrollment. The CEAT did not provide a thorough explanation of why the Veteran does not meet the criteria for personal care services, which is necessary for eligibility.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for heart failure and obstructive sleep apnea, finding no current disability in both cases.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for liver transplant, kidney disease, and heart failure due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure and medical records.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, as heart failure was not shown to be related to his military service, including presumed exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
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