The Veteran's cause of death, bilateral bronchopneumonia with complicating factors including atherosclerotic coronary artery disease and hypertensive renal disease, is considered due to service-connected causes. As the Veteran served in Vietnam, his exposure to herbicides is presumed, allowing for presumptive service connection for atherosclerotic coronary artery disease.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's death was attributed to bilateral bronchopneumonia with complicating factors including atherosclerotic coronary artery disease and hypertensive renal disease. Given the Veteran's service in Vietnam, his exposure to herbicides is presumed, allowing for presumptive service connection for atherosclerotic coronary artery disease.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral bronchopneumonia, hypertensive renal disease, atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, cystic encephalomalacia
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 1, 2020
- Citation
- 20057742
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 20057742.
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 has determined that the severance of service connection for atherosclerotic coronary artery disease/aortic stenosis status post aortic valve replacement was improper, and thus restored the original grant of service connection.
- Granted
The Veteran's cause of death, acute coronary insufficiency due to atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, is considered presumptively related to herbicide exposure in Vietnam. As the Veteran served in Vietnam and his condition is presumed for herbicide-exposed veterans, service connection for the cause of death is granted.
- Partly granted
The veteran's claim for a 100% rating for heart disease was granted, but the claim for service connection for COPD was denied.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for a disability rating in excess of 60 percent for atherosclerotic coronary artery disease was denied. The Veteran also received a grant of TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.
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