The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by or related to his in-service syphilis, and thus denied service connection for the cause of his death.
The deciding factor: The VA physician concluded that syphilis did not contribute substantially or materially to the veteran's death.
- Claimed conditions
- Renal failure, Hyperkalemia, Atherosclerotic heart disease, Ascending dissecting aortic aneurysm, Aortic arch aneurysm, Aortitis, Arteriosclerosis
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 26, 2001
- Citation
- 0119446
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 0119446.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, finding that it was related to in-service symptoms indicating kidney disease caused by systemic lupus erythematosus.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for the Veteran's cause of death and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation under 38 USC 1318 due to a need for a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's causes of death, considering toxic exposure at Camp Lejeune.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, and atherosclerotic heart disease to obtain additional medical opinions.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, as there was no evidence that any of his service-connected disabilities contributed to or caused his death.
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.