The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence of ischemic heart disease at the time of his death and that it did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year following discharge from service. The Board also found that the Veteran’s death was not caused by herbicide exposure in Vietnam.
The deciding factor: The VA physician's opinion indicated that there was no evidence of ischemic heart disease at the time of the Veteran's death and that it did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year following discharge from service. The Board also found that the cause of death was due to respiratory failure caused by COPD, which is unrelated to herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- cardiopulmonary arrest, emphysema, smoking
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 6, 2018
- Citation
- 18147733
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 18147733.
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 a duty to obtain a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's death was linked to his service, including exposure to Agent Orange.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's lung condition, including pneumonia residuals, COPD, and emphysema, is remanded for further examination to determine if they are related to his military service. The appeal is reopened based on new evidence.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The appeal seeking readjudication of the previously denied claim for PTSD and multiple other conditions is dismissed due to a procedural defect. The Veteran's authorized representative at the time the appeal was submitted did not have the authority to file the appeal.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has denied service connection for sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, emphysema, and prostate cancer as the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions began during active service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.
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