The Board has granted service connection for the cause of death due to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which is presumed to be associated with exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. The claim for accrued benefits was denied as there were no pending claims at the time of the Veteran's death and the claim was filed after one year from his death.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran had qualifying service in the Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam era, which presumed exposure to herbicides. The cause of death (atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease) is presumptively associated with such exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 9, 2022
- Citation
- 22027121
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 22027121.
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 Veteran's cause of death, which included atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, is presumed to be related to herbicide agent exposure during service at Fort McClellan. The Board granted the claim for service connection for the cause of death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the initial decision denying service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is incorrect and remands the case to allow for further development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and his death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter to obtain a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's significant conditions at the time of his death were related to his service, including any toxic exposure risk activities (TERA), and if so, whether they had a material influence on the acceleration of his death.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence to support a direct relationship between the Veteran's service and his hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease or methamphetamine use.
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