The Board found no evidence linking the veteran's cause of death to service or a service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death. The DIC claim under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 was also denied as there is no established right to receive total service-connected disability compensation.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the veteran's cause of death (myocardial rupture) and underlying causes (myocardial infarction, atherosclerosis) were not caused or aggravated by his service or any service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Myocardial rupture, Myocardial infarction, Atherosclerosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 8, 2003
- Citation
- 0334080
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 0334080.
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 denied the claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking his myocardial infarction and COPD to his military service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease and myocardial infarction, status post stent placement, as well as obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has denied service connection for peripheral artery disease and atherosclerosis, bilateral above-the-knee amputations, and right arm disability status-post two strokes. The claim of eligibility for VA outpatient dental treatment was dismissed due to the absence of an initial determination by VHA.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for his coronary artery disease prior to February 7, 2018 was denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent. Since February 7, 2018, the Veteran's CAD has been rated at 60 percent due to symptoms such as dyspnea, fatigue, and angina with a METs level greater than 3 but less than 5.
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