The Board found that none of the veteran's service-connected conditions caused or contributed to his death, and thus denied the claim.
The deciding factor: The underlying causes of the veteran's death (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary artery disease, peptic ulcer disease, and acute renal failure) were not shown to be present during his military service or within one year after separation. The Board concluded that none of these conditions were service-connected.
- Claimed conditions
- Acute renal failure, Acute respiratory failure, Coronary artery disease, Peptic ulcer disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 6, 2004
- Citation
- 0403417
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 0403417.
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 Board denied service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, type II, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, hypertension, asthma/lung disease, vision disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis, leukocytosis, kidney disease/kidney stones, enlarged prostate, sleep apnea, rheumatoid arthritis, lumbar spine disability, right ankle disability, and left ankle disability.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for degenerative joint disease and intervertebral disc syndrome, cervical spine; cervical spine radiculopathy, right upper extremity; coronary artery disease; and right ear hearing loss.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's coronary artery disease for all periods on appeal.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an initial compensable rating for acute renal failure and remanded the claim for a chronic ingrown toenail evaluation.
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