The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for cause of death due to a service-connected disability. However, it is denied as there is no evidence that the veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed substantially or materially to his death.
The deciding factor: The newly-issued death certificate attributed the cause of death to a service-connected disability, but this was not credible given the autopsy report and the appellant's admission. There is also no evidence showing that the veteran's heart disease was caused by or resulted from his service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- atherosclerotic heart disease, cardiopulmonary arrest
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 6, 2000
- Citation
- 0000393
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 0000393.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including a bilateral eye disability and cardiovascular conditions, based on the Veteran's in-service occupational exposures.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death as there was no evidence linking any of the listed conditions to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, and atherosclerotic heart disease due to the interwoven issue of character of discharge.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, and atherosclerotic heart disease based on presumed exposure to herbicides. Erectile dysfunction was also granted as secondary to the service-connected hypertension. Hand tremors were denied.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.