The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was caused by his exposure to herbicide agents in active service, and he had current disabilities of cardiac pulmonary arrest, cirrhosis, acute kidney disease, and portal hypertension. The Board found that these conditions were as likely as not caused by exposure to herbicide agents in active service and contributed substantially or materially to the Veteran's death.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the evidence showed a causal relationship between the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during his military service and his current disabilities, including cirrhosis of the liver which was likely caused by Agent Orange exposure. The Board also considered the opinion of the Veteran's private treatment provider who concluded that the Veteran's hypertension and cirrhosis were at least as likely as not attributable to active-duty service.
- Claimed conditions
- cardiac pulmonary arrest, cirrhosis, acute kidney disease, portal hypertension
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 3, 2024
- Citation
- A24051987
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 A24051987.
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 has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by or substantially contributed to by any service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection for cause of death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has dismissed the appeal for accrued benefits and has remanded the issue of service connection for cause of death, as there was a duty to assist error related to obtaining a medical nexus opinion regarding in-service herbicide agent exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death, kidney cancer, is not service-connected. The Board found that the Veteran's cause of death was not related to his military service or a service-connected disability.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's Hepatitis C with cirrhosis is related to service, and therefore grants service connection for these conditions.
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