The veteran's secondary service connection claim for injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident is denied. The effective date for the increased rating of hypertension remains November 19, 1997 due to lack of evidence showing an increase within one year prior to the claim. The heart disability is rated at 30 percent and the veteran's appeal for higher ratings is denied.
The deciding factor: The motor vehicle accident was not caused by service-connected conditions or medications prescribed for them, thus secondary service connection is not warranted. The effective date of the increased rating for hypertension cannot be earlier than November 19, 1997 as there is no evidence showing an increase in severity within one year prior to the claim. The heart disability is rated at 30 percent under the old criteria and higher ratings are not supported by the evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- Coronary artery disease - status post inferior wall myocardial infarction, Hypertension, Multiple injuries sustained in a September 1996 motor vehicle accident
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- June 4, 2004
- Citation
- 0414355
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 685 · Granted: 36% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0414355.
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 the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and has remanded the issue of an increased rating for skin condition.
- Granted
The Board has restored the Veteran's 10% rating for hypertension effective December 1, 2025 and denied a rating in excess of 10%. The reduction from 10% to noncompensable was not proper.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.