The Board has determined that the veteran's death was not caused by service-connected conditions, and therefore denied both his claim for service connection for the cause of death and his eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance under Chapter 35. The Board found no evidence linking the veteran's heart disease to any incident or condition during active military service.
The deciding factor: The Board concluded that arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which was the sole listed cause of death, did not have a direct link to the veteran's military service and could not be presumed due to exposure to herbicides. The service-connected conditions were found insufficient to contribute substantially or materially to the cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, major depressive disorder, bronchial asthma, lumbosacral spine osteoarthritis, fractured left clavicle (minor), tinnitus, residuals of a head injury with fractured skull and headaches, left ear hearing loss, bilateral tinea pedis, left leg laceration scars, left hyperopia secondary to fractured left orbit
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 26, 2002
- Citation
- 0208460
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 0208460.
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 Veteran's claim for specially-adapted housing assistance and a special home adaptation grant was denied because he does not meet the criteria for either benefit based on his service-connected disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his alleged stressors.
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