The Board found that the veteran's service-connected disabilities did not contribute to his cause of death, which was due to myocardial infarction and metastatic carcinoma and COPD. The Board concluded that there is no medical relationship between such disabilities and the cause of death.
The deciding factor: The veteran's service-connected conditions did not result in debilitating effects or general impairment of health to an extent that rendered him materially less capable of resisting the effects of other disease or injury primarily causing death.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic carcinoma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), gunshot wound to the left shoulder with damage to Muscle Group III, major depression in remission
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 26, 2002
- Citation
- 0208502
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 0208502.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a respiratory disability to obtain an adequate VA examination and additional evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including GERD, chronic kidney disease, COPD, a heart condition, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, insomnia, and obstructive sleep apnea, as additional development is necessary to address the Veteran's exposure to toxic chemical agents during his service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) and remanded the claim for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
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