The veteran's death was caused by pulmonary congestion, bronchopneumonia, and urinary tract infection. His service-connected bipolar disorder/schizophrenia did not contribute to his cause of death.
The deciding factor: The veteran's cause of death (pulmonary congestion, bronchopneumonia, and urinary tract infection) was unrelated to his military service or any service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Pulmonary Congestion, Bronchopneumonia, Urinary Tract Infection, Ischemic Heart Disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 29, 2000
- Citation
- 0017253
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 0017253.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for the Veteran's cause of death and entitlement to Dependency and Indemnity Compensation under 38 USC § 1151 due to inadequate medical opinions.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for diabetes, ischemic heart disease, hypertension, and neuropathy of the right and left upper and lower extremities as secondary to diabetes due to herbicide exposure during the Veteran's service in Okinawa.
- Granted
Service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, due to ischemic heart disease and coronary heart disease, is granted based on presumed exposure to herbicides during service at U-Tapao RTAFB in Thailand.
- Granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of May 29, 2018, for the grant of total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU).
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