The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between the Veteran's multiple myeloma and toxic exposures during overseas service. The primary cause of death was respiratory failure.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence of in-service incurrence or aggravation of a disease or injury that could have caused the Veteran's multiple myeloma (or his respiratory failure generally).
- Claimed conditions
- respiratory failure, multiple myeloma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 10, 2026
- Citation
- A26012537
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 A26012537.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 100 percent for service-connected multiple myeloma has been denied. The Board also remanded two issues related to nerve neuropathies, and the claims for TDIU and SMC have been denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for multiple myeloma and back problems due to a duty to assist error. For multiple myeloma, the Veteran's exposure to asbestos is not verified. For back problems, an addendum opinion is needed to consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding her training-related injuries.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for multiple myeloma, finding that the evidence is in equipoise and resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the appellant.
- Denied
The Veteran's causes of death were not found to be service-connected, as there was no credible evidence linking the conditions to his military service.
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