The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of the veteran's death, finding that no in-service diagnosis or treatment was provided for any of the principal or contributory causes of death. The Board also found that there is insufficient evidence to establish presumptive service connection based on the veteran's status as a former prisoner of war.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not show any in-service diagnosis or treatment for any of the principal or contributory causes of death, and no presumption of service connection was established due to the veteran's status as a former prisoner of war.
- Claimed conditions
- cardio-respiratory arrest, acute respiratory failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, ischemic heart disease, Koch's pulmonary disease
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 5, 2002
- Citation
- 0217581
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 0217581.
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.
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case to obtain a new medical opinion regarding the Veteran's ischemic heart disease, as the previous opinions were found inadequate.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease, obstructive sleep apnea, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease but denied service connection for irritable bowel syndrome. The Board also denied an increased rating for the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric condition.
- Partly granted
The Board granted restoration of the 10 percent evaluation for left knee meniscus, effective April 21, 2025, and an additional 20 percent rating was also granted.
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