The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of her husband's death, concluding that his alcohol-related condition was not related to his service-connected back disability and that he died from alcohol abuse.
The deciding factor: The veteran's death was attributed to alcohol abuse, which is not compensable under VA regulations. The Board found no evidence linking his death to his service-connected lumbosacral strain.
- Claimed conditions
- Aspiration pneumonia of the left lower lobe, Abscess due to probable sepsis, Fatty liver, Gastritis, Acute tubular necrosis of the kidneys
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 24, 2001
- Citation
- 0121495
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 0121495.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for cirrhosis, hepatitis C, hepatocellular carcinoma, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gastritis, Barrett's esophagus, and obstructive sleep apnea but dismissed the claim for an acquired psychiatric disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a left and right knee disability, fatty liver, eustachian tube dysfunction, and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome due to inadequate VA examinations and medical opinions.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for several conditions, including unspecified depressive disorder, right and left hand tremors, GERD, IBS, gastritis, chronic sinusitis, dermatosis of the arms, hands, and feet, bilateral plantar fasciitis, bilateral tinea pedis, and a lumbar spine disability. The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for TBI and a compensable rating for migraine headaches.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple acquired psychiatric and physical disabilities, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
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