The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of her husband's death and for special monthly pension based on need for regular aid and attendance or by reason of being housebound. The underlying disease process that led to her husband's death was not related to his military service.
The deciding factor: There is no medical evidence showing a direct relationship between the veteran's period of active duty and any disability leading to his death, including cardiovascular disease (including essential hypertension).
- Claimed conditions
- Acute myocardial infarction, Ischemic heart disease with acute angina, Congestive heart failure, Diabetes mellitus, Essential hypertension, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Acute renal failure, Respiratory failure
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 12, 2002
- Citation
- 0209659
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 0209659.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the R(1) rate due to his need for regular aid and attendance.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an initial compensable rating for acute renal failure and remanded the claim for a chronic ingrown toenail evaluation.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, finding no evidence that his death was related to any injury or disease in service, including exposure to herbicide agents.
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