The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, and denied the claim on grounds of CUE.
The deciding factor: The private medical opinions attributing the veteran's smoking and subsequent fatal disease to his service-connected psychiatric disorder were not persuasive, and the facts did not raise a substantial doubt that could be resolved in the appellant's favor.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic renal failure, Diabetes mellitus, Arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, Gangrene of the toes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 16, 2004
- Citation
- 0415409
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 0415409.
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 Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the R(1) rate due to his need for regular aid and attendance.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, finding no evidence that his death was related to any injury or disease in service, including exposure to herbicide agents.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a back disability, and remanded claims for respiratory condition, cataracts, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension.
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