The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of death, finding that there was no evidence linking his death to his military service or exposure to engine fumes, exhaust, chemicals, and asbestos.
The deciding factor: There is no competent evidence showing a link between the Veteran’s service and his causes of death, including chronic respiratory failure, CVA with encephalopathy, debility related to malnutrition, and MI secondary to bradycardia.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic respiratory failure, cerebral vascular accident (CVA) with encephalopathy, debility related to malnutrition, myocardial infarction (MI)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 26, 2019
- Citation
- 19189342
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,104 · Granted: 28% (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 19189342.
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 Veteran's claims are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions regarding his service connection claims. The VA will obtain these necessary evaluations in order to provide a proper determination.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's heart conditions, including CAD, MI, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, congestive heart failure, supraventricular arrhythmia, and CABG are granted as presumed due to herbicide exposure. DM is also granted. Peripheral neuropathy of the LLE, RLE, LUE, and RUE is granted secondary to DM.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has readjudicated the previously denied claim of service connection for cause of death, finding that new and relevant evidence supports reopening the claim. However, the evidence does not establish a link between any service-connected conditions and the Veteran's cause of death.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has determined that the severance of service connection for ventricular arrhythmia was improper and has granted full restoration of severed benefits.
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