The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for cause of death and entitlement to Dependents' Educational Assistance due to a lack of evidence linking his death to service-connected conditions or exposure to asbestos, and because he did not have permanent and total disability at the time of his death.
The deciding factor: There was no direct evidence showing that the veteran's death was caused by a service-connected condition. The Board also found insufficient evidence regarding potential asbestos exposure during service.
- Claimed conditions
- cor pulmonale, severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 2, 2002
- Citation
- 0217330
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 0217330.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development of evidence, including obtaining outstanding medical records.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure during active service in the Republic of Vietnam. The other claims were remanded for further development.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remanded the case to obtain an adequate medical opinion on whether the veteran's obstructive sleep apnea includes cor pulmonale, which could increase his disability rating.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for cor pulmonale, pneumonia, and chest injury due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors. The Veteran's cor pulmonale, pneumonia, and chest injury need to be evaluated in VA examinations to determine their etiology.
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