The Board denied the appellant's claim that the April 23, 1997 rating decision denying service connection for the cause of the veteran's death contained clear and unmistakable error. The RO pointed to a lack of medical evidence linking ischemic heart disease to the abdominal aortic aneurysm.
The deciding factor: The facts before the RO did not compel a conclusion inconsistent with the RO's determination, and failure to carry out additional development is not grounds for finding clear and unmistakable error in the decision.
- Claimed conditions
- ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm, multi-system organ failure, enterocutaneous fistula, bilateral cerebrovascular accident
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 7, 2000
- Citation
- 0032002
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 0032002.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for additional disability from abdominal surgeries due to lack of fault on the part of VA, finding that the Veteran's complications were not caused by carelessness, negligence, or other instances of fault.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and determined that July 30, 2012 is the earliest effective date allowed. The decision does not address any other issues or provide a rating assigned.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for various secondary conditions are remanded due to predecisional duty-to-assist errors.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was caused by his exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, which contributed to his chronic kidney disease. The evidence is in equipoise as to whether this relationship exists.
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.