Veterans’ RightsAn independent resource for veterans
← All decisions
Whole decision: DeniedPACT Act

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability.,The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is presumed to be related to his Vietnam service. However, the medical evidence does not support that it caused or contributed to his acute pancreatitis.,There is no evidence of ischemic heart disease in the Veteran's records, and he did not have any history of alcohol abuse. The examiner opined that there was no link between presumed exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune (CLJ) and the Veteran's acute pancreatitis.,The medical opinions were inconclusive regarding whether the Veteran's surgeries caused or contributed to his acute pancreatitis.

The deciding factor: There is no evidence that a service-connected disability caused or materially contributed to the Veteran's death. The Board finds the evidence persuasive against this claim.

Claimed conditions
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Acute pancreatitis
How they argued it
Not specified
Exposure basis
None
Rating
Not verified here — check the original decision
Decision date
January 5, 2023
Citation
23000626

Veterans Law Judge

Eric S. Leboff

Decisions by this judge: 2,500 · Granted: 29% (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 23000626.

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.

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.