The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that no service-connected disability caused or contributed to his death.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of evidence showed that none of the disabilities leading to the veteran's death were present during service and there was no causal link between any service-connected condition and the veteran's death.
- Claimed conditions
- heart and lung failure, aspiration pneumonitis, large and small bowel ileus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 5, 2002
- Citation
- 0211387
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0211387.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected CML caused several disabilities, including loss of use of bilateral lower extremities (eosinophilic fasciitis), erosive esophagitis, aspiration pneumonitis, right upper and left upper extremity eosinophilic fasciitis, thoracolumbar spine eosinophilic fasciitis, cervical spine eosinophilic fasciitis, and malnutrition. Effective December 6, 2017, service connection was granted for these conditions.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted the appellant's request to reopen her claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death. The issue is now remanded for a VA medical opinion regarding whether service-connected hypertension and/or diabetes mellitus contributed to the Veteran's death.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board found that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, resulting in a denial.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran died in February 1995 from aspiration pneumonitis, chronic vegetative state, and intracranial infection. The appellant remarried in September 1996 and is not entitled to DIC benefits as the surviving spouse of the Veteran due to the timing of her remarriage.
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