The Board denied the claim of service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that his anxiety neurosis did not cause or contribute to his death and that there was no evidence linking his heart conditions to his military service.
The deciding factor: Service-connected anxiety disorder did not cause or contribute substantially to the cause of death due to congestive heart failure and atherosclerotic heart disease, which were not shown to be related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Congestive heart failure, Atherosclerotic heart disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 18, 2004
- Citation
- 0415822
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 0415822.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection for congestive heart failure and PTSD, granted a TDIU due to service-connected PTSD, and granted special monthly compensation based on housebound criteria.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a cardiovascular disability, secondary to hypertension, but denied a compensable rating and an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.
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