The Board denied the claims for service connection for the cause of death, entitlement to DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318, and entitlement to Dependents' Educational Assistance under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35 due to lack of evidence showing a direct relationship between the veteran's service-connected conditions and his death.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the primary cause of the veteran's death was congestive heart failure due to coronary artery disease, which was not incurred in or aggravated by service.
- Claimed conditions
- immobile right ankle, residuals arthrodesis right knee with loss of extension and flexion, traumatic arthritis, postoperative neuromas and osteophyte, postsurgical right lower quadrant neuralgia, appendectomy scar, malaria
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- April 7, 2004
- Citation
- 0409058
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 0409058.
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 an increased disability evaluation of 100 percent for service-connected malaria, finding the evidence to be in approximate equipoise as to whether the Veteran's malaria was active during the appeal period.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for malaria, including residuals, as there is no current diagnosis of malaria or residuals.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable evaluation for malaria as there was no evidence of active malaria or any current residuals affecting a bodily system.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for cold spells and an eye disability (glaucoma suspect and pigment dispersion) related to the Veteran's service, but denied a compensable rating for malaria.
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