The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for her husband's cause of death and basic eligibility for Dependence and Educational Assistance, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims.
The deciding factor: The claim for service connection for the veteran's cause of death is not well-grounded as there is no evidence showing an injury or disease in service related to heart disease. The claim for basic eligibility for Dependence and Educational Assistance is denied due to the denial of dependency and indemnity compensation benefits.
- Claimed conditions
- Cardiac disease, Respiratory arrest
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 2, 2000
- Citation
- 0028972
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0028972.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death on a direct basis, finding that there was not sufficient evidence to establish causation due to VA medical care. The Veteran's death was attributed to transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI), which is a known complication of blood transfusions.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's death was caused by complications of a blood transfusion, specifically Transfusion Related Acute Lung Injury (TRALI). The Board found that the VA did not exercise proper care in administering the blood transfusions and thus denied service connection for the cause of death.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was due to an event not reasonably foreseeable, specifically a blood stream infection in his debilitated condition. As such, compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was not service-connected, as it was caused by alcohol abuse rather than any service-connected condition.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
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.