The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and thus denied both his claim for service connection for the cause of his death and his DIC claim under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.
The deciding factor: A VA cardiologist reviewed the claims folder and concluded that there is no causal relationship between PTSD and cardiovascular disease, which contributed to the veteran's death.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Thrombotic occlusion of the right coronary artery due to coronary arteriosclerosis and arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 4, 2003
- Citation
- 0318941
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 0318941.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to December 27, 2019 for the grant of service connection for PTSD was denied as there is no earlier claim document in the claims file and the Veteran did not timely perfect an appeal.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is granted as a result of military sexual trauma (MST) that occurred during service. The Board found the Veteran's testimony and supporting evidence credible, including her VA and private treatment records.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for TDIU is granted with an effective date of August 17, 2022. The decision also denies the Veteran's request for Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) due to lack of need for aid and attendance or being housebound.
- Granted
The Board has granted eligibility to attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in the October 2024 rating decision for an increased PTSD rating and denied TDIU.
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