The veteran's death during a VA hospitalization was not caused by carelessness, negligence, or similar fault on the part of the VA. The cause of death was intractable pulmonary edema due to end-stage congestive heart failure.
The deciding factor: The proximate cause of the veteran's death was his underlying medical conditions rather than any fault on the part of the VA during treatment.
- Claimed conditions
- Congestive Heart Failure, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Diabetes Mellitus, Spino-cerebellar Degeneration, Coronary Artery Disease, Gout
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 22, 2004
- Citation
- 0402193
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 685 · Granted: 36% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0402193.
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 appeal was granted for various disabilities, including service connection for depressive disorder and increased evaluations for diabetic peripheral neuropathy affecting multiple nerve groups. A SMC based on need for aid and attendance was also awarded.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination focusing on his service-connected disabilities and their impact on his eligibility for benefits, as well as his need for aid and attendance.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of 100 percent for CAD was granted effective November 28, 2023. The effective date is based on the date of a VA examination showing the increase in disability.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and diabetes are being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine the etiology of these conditions.
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