The Board found that the veteran's service-connected disabilities did not cause or contribute to his death, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death. The DIC benefits claim was also denied as the veteran would not have been entitled to a total disability rating due to service-connected disability continuously for 10 years prior to his death.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that there was no competent medical evidence indicating that the veteran's service-connected disabilities caused or contributed substantially and materially to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic fibrositis of the knees, ankles and feet, mixed-type psychoneurosis, bilateral pes planus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 15, 2000
- Citation
- 0021526
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 0021526.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, hypertension, and various musculoskeletal and skin disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral pes planus based on aggravation of a preexisting disability, but denied service connection for right and left knee disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral pes planus, anemia, and gastritis as the conditions were not shown to be related to or aggravated by service.
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