The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to ischemic heart disease, coronary artery disease, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and lung cancer caused by exposure to herbicide agents during service in Thailand. The claim for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 is dismissed as moot since service connection has been granted. Service-connected burial benefits are also granted.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's death was attributed to ischemic heart disease, coronary artery disease, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and lung cancer, all of which were found to be related to his in-service exposure to herbicide agents in Thailand.
- Claimed conditions
- ischemic heart disease, coronary artery disease, pulmonary arterial hypertension, lung cancer
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 24, 2023
- Citation
- 23040411
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 23040411.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a higher evaluation of his service-connected chronic fatigue and weakness due to chemotherapy and radiation treatment for lung cancer is granted, with an evaluation of 60 percent.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for residuals of lung cancer from May 1, 2005 is denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart condition, including ischemic heart disease. The evidence did not support a finding of a current disability related to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for coronary artery disease is being remanded due to the inadequacy of a previous VA examination.
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