The Board found that the veteran's service-connected disabilities did not cause or contribute substantially to his death. The appellant argued that her husband's psychiatric condition caused his respiratory failure and pneumonia, but the Board concluded that his anxiety disorder and depression were not significant factors in his death.
The deciding factor: The veteran's service-connected conditions (anxiety disorder, major depression) were not considered a substantial factor in causing his death due to bilateral pneumonia. The medical evidence indicated that his dementia and other non-service-connected conditions played a more significant role in his condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Anxiety Disorder, Major Depression, Residuals of Malaria, Vascular Dementia with Behavioral Disturbances, Coronary Artery Disease (status post coronary artery bypass grafting), Cerebrovascular Accident, Intermittent Congestive Heart Failure, Bilateral Severe Recurrent Pneumonia, Hepatitis C
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 12, 2002
- Citation
- 0203401
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 0203401.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, anxiety disorder, and unspecified trauma- and stressor-related disorder, but denied service connection for left knee degenerative arthritis, cervical strain, left breast cancer, and a left arm condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a new VA addendum opinion to determine if the Veteran's liver cancer and hepatitis C are related to his active service, including exposure to agent orange.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for several conditions, including lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and radiculopathy of the sciatic and femoral nerves, with effective dates from March 15, 2013. The Board also granted a TDIU and DEA based on unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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