The veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected condition, and his surviving spouse is not entitled to DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.
The deciding factor: Service connection for the cause of death is denied as there is no evidence linking any service-connected disability to the veteran's death.
- Claimed conditions
- Anoxic Encephalopathy
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 9, 2003
- Citation
- 0315312
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 0315312.
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 cause of death was determined to be related to his service-connected PTSD, which contributed to the sepsis caused by untreated dental issues. The Board granted service connection for the cause of death and denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the submission of additional evidence regarding the Veteran's post-service symptoms and related medical research, which was not considered by the previous VA examiner.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD contributed to his heart disease, which in turn caused his death. Therefore, service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's cause of death was anoxic encephalopathy secondary to cardiac arrest, acute myocardial infarction and failure, acute renal failure needing dialysis, and respiratory failure needing ventilator support. The appellant asserts that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD caused his heart disease, which led to his death. The Board finds that VA records may contain relevant information and requests for such records be made. Additionally, a medical opinion is needed to determine if the Veteran had an ischemic heart condition before his death and whether it was related to his service-connected PTSD.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.