The Veteran's cause of death was not caused by or related to his service-connected conditions, and there is no evidence that the causes of death were due to herbicide exposure. Service connection for cause of death is denied.
The deciding factor: There is no probative evidence showing a causal link between the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and his cause of death, nor any evidence linking his death to herbicide exposure in Vietnam.
- Claimed conditions
- Acute metabolic encephalopathy, Hypovolemic shock, Pan colitis, Acute kidney injury, Pancytopenia, Cachexia, Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma with metastasis, Acute deep vein thrombosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 5, 2026
- Citation
- A26019838
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 A26019838.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease, which is presumed to be related to Agent Orange exposure. The Veteran's cause of death was due to acute kidney injury and aortic valve replacement, both linked to his service-connected ischemic heart disease.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for acute kidney injury, finding that it is related to an in-service physical fitness test injury during inactive duty training.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for further development, including obtaining a new medical nexus opinion and addressing potential exposure to herbicides and asbestos.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder and tinnitus, while denying service connection for various other disabilities including the right ankle, left ankle, right shoulder, left shoulder, right knee, left knee, heart, respiratory, kidney, venous thrombosis, urinary hesitancy, acute metabolic encephalopathy, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, sleep disturbance, abdominal distension, atherosclerotic peripheral vascular disease, neurological disability, chronic fatigue syndrome, erectile dysfunction, stroke, skin disability, fibromyalgia, bilateral foot pain, hammer toes, tinea pedis, meningitis, GERD, traumatic brain injury, and irritable bowel syndrome. The Board also remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss and a back disability.
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