The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by his military service, including exposure to herbicide agents. The cause of death is attributed to rectal cancer with lung metastasis and associated complications.
The deciding factor: The March 2020 VA medical opinion concluded that none of the disabilities listed on the Veteran's death certificate are presumptive conditions known to be associated with herbicide exposure, specifically Agent Orange, during time in service. The examiner also explained that no relationship can be established between any time or event in service and the Veteran's other conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- rectal cancer, urinary retention, recurrent urinary tract infection, urosepsis, deep vein thrombosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 16, 2023
- Citation
- 23016158
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 23016158.
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the service connection claims for deep vein thrombosis and hypothyroidism due to insufficient VA medical opinions.
- Granted
The Veteran's rectal cancer is related to his active duty service and exposure to Agent Orange. The Board granted service connection for the condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance or at the housebound status is remanded due to errors in obtaining necessary medical records and failing to provide a VA examination.
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