The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and therefore denied entitlement to service connection for cause of death.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence linking the Veteran's cause of death (hypoxic respiratory failure) to any service-connected condition or exposure to herbicides. The VA examiner found no link between asbestos exposure during service and the Veteran's emphysema, and there is no positive association between hypoxic respiratory failure or emphysema and exposure to herbicides.
- Claimed conditions
- Hypoxic respiratory failure, Emphysema, Tobacco use disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 24, 2024
- Citation
- A24040553
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 A24040553.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran was granted a TDIU with a September 19, 2024 effective date based on his PTSD, emphysema, and COPD symptoms. His diabetes, tinnitus, and left ear hearing loss were not found to prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to March 19, 2024.
- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was listed as emphysema, but the Board found no causal connection to service or a service-connected disability. The Veteran did not meet the criteria for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's COPD is etiologically related to service exposure to herbicide agents, and thus grants service connection for COPD.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for a respiratory disorder, including claims related to asbestos exposure and claimed ionizing radiation exposure. The evidence did not support a link between any in-service exposures and the current diagnoses.
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