The Board has determined that the Veteran's atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease, which caused his death, is presumptively related to exposure to herbicide agents during service in Korea. The claim for service connection for cause of death is therefore granted.
The deciding factor: The evidence supports finding the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents at or near the DMZ during the qualifying time period, leading to a presumption of service connection for his atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease.
- Claimed conditions
- atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 27, 2019
- Citation
- 19123121
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,592 · Granted: 19% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19123121.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
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: Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease was caused by his service-connected disabilities.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, as there was no evidence that a disability incurred in or aggravated by service caused or contributed substantially to his death.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's death was not related to service-connected conditions, and the claim for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 is denied.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's death was not caused or contributed to by service-connected disabilities, and therefore his cause of death is denied.
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