The Board found no evidence that the veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed to or caused his death from congestive heart failure and arteriosclerosis. The Board denied service connection for the cause of death.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinion concluded that the service-connected multiple gunshot wound residuals did not have a material influence in causing, contributing to or accelerating the veteran's death.
- Claimed conditions
- Congestive heart failure, Arteriosclerosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 17, 2002
- Citation
- 0208014
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 0208014.
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 service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, type II, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, hypertension, asthma/lung disease, vision disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis, leukocytosis, kidney disease/kidney stones, enlarged prostate, sleep apnea, rheumatoid arthritis, lumbar spine disability, right ankle disability, and left ankle disability.
- Partly granted
The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection for congestive heart failure and PTSD, granted a TDIU due to service-connected PTSD, and granted special monthly compensation based on housebound criteria.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a cardiovascular disability, secondary to hypertension, but denied a compensable rating and an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.
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