The Veteran's cause of death is found to be related to his military service, specifically exposure to herbicide agents in the Republic of Vietnam. Service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death is granted.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that the Veteran served in the Republic of Vietnam and was presumptively exposed to herbicide agents during service, leading to a finding of service connection for the cause of his death.
- Claimed conditions
- atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19129937
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,037 · Granted: 21% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 19129937.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Denied
The Veteran's death was not caused or contributed to by service-connected disabilities, and therefore his cause of death is denied.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.