The Board denied compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for the cause of the veteran's death due to lack of medical evidence linking the burns sustained during VA treatment to his fatal heart condition.
The deciding factor: There was no competent medical evidence showing a link between the veteran's burns and his fatal heart condition.
- Claimed conditions
- occlusive coronary arteriosclerosis, old thrombosis/cardiomegaly, calcific aortic stenosis, generalized arteriosclerosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 5, 2002
- Citation
- 0217602
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 0217602.
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: Denied
The Board has determined that the burns sustained by the Veteran during his post-operative recovery did not contribute to his death, and therefore denied entitlement to compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for the cause of the Veteran's death.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board found that the Veteran died due to occlusive coronary arteriosclerosis, with old thrombosis/cardiomegaly, calcific aortic stenosis, and generalized arteriosclerosis. There is no evidence of additional disability caused by VA treatment.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The veteran's claim for service connection for arteriosclerotic heart disease and generalized arteriosclerosis is being remanded to the RO for further adjudication.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The veteran is seeking an increased rating for his service-connected neurocirculatory asthenia, but the case needs further development to determine if other conditions are related to his service connection.
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