The veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected condition, and the evidence does not show that a service-connected disability contributed substantially or materially to his death.
The deciding factor: The cause of death listed on the veteran's death certificate was coronary obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is not service-connected. The VA medical records do not indicate any service connection for COPD, and there is no evidence that a service-connected condition contributed substantially or materially to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Osteoarthritis of cervical spine, Osteoarthritis of lumbar spine post laminectomy and diskectomy, Osteoarthritis of the left ankle, Osteoarthritis of the left knee, Osteoarthritis of the left shoulder, Osteoarthritis of the right ankle, Osteoarthritis of the right knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- March 29, 2004
- Citation
- 0408017
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 0408017.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the spine, and osteoarthritis of the right shoulder and left shoulder based on evidence showing that these conditions had onset during active military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The claims for higher initial ratings for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, osteoarthritis of the right and left knees, and left ankle strain are remanded due to inadequate VA compensation examination reports.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for additional development, including obtaining a new VA examination to address the inadequacies of previous examinations and obtain any relevant private treatment records.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and granted service connection for osteoarthritis of the left and right knees, limitation of extension.
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