The Board found that the veteran's service-connected conditions did not cause or contribute to his death, and thus denied the claim.
The deciding factor: There was no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's terminal health problems to service or a service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Pneumonitis, Dementia
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 8, 2002
- Citation
- 0200207
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 0200207.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and entitlement to Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 due to duty to assist errors, including the need for a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's causes of death.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for Parkinson's Disease and remanded the claim for dementia.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for several service-connected conditions and granted service connection for a few others, including tinea pedis, bilateral dry eye syndrome, right shoulder disability, cervical spine disability, left knee disability (secondary), right knee disability (secondary), and right ankle disability (secondary).
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for insomnia and remanded the claim for obstructive sleep apnea. All other claims for service connection were denied.
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.