The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was caused by pneumonia with contributing diseases of neutropenia and myelodysplastic syndrome. The cause of death claim is remanded due to a failure to verify the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during service, including 'service in the Republic of Vietnam' or 'in the 12-nautical mile territorial sea of the Republic of Vietnam'. The burial benefits claim is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the cause of death claim.
The deciding factor: The Board found that VA failed to verify the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during service, which could affect his eligibility for presumptive service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- Neutropenia, Pancytopenia, Pneumonia, Myelodysplastic Syndrome
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 12, 2022
- Citation
- A22020642
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 A22020642.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that none of the listed causes were related to his military service and no service-connected disability contributed to his death.
- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was not caused by or related to his service-connected conditions, and there is no evidence that the causes of death were due to herbicide exposure. Service connection for cause of death is denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for cause of death, finding that his service-connected conditions did not contribute to his death. The evidence showed well-controlled heart symptoms prior to death and no causal relationship between anxiety and cardiopulmonary disease or renal failure.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to perform daily activities of living without the assistance of another, and he is granted special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance.
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