The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of her husband's death and entitlement to dependents' educational assistance benefits, finding no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
The deciding factor: There was insufficient evidence to establish a causal relationship between the veteran's active service and any of the claimed conditions that contributed to his death or were related to his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Respiratory failure, Emphysema, Pneumonitis, Protein calorie malnutrition, Carcinoma of the prostate
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 8, 2004
- Citation
- 0418167
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 0418167.
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 based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, ischemic heart disease (IHD), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stent placement as secondary to IHD, hypertensive heart disease, and emphysema. The COPD claim was denied.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for COPD and emphysema as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for mantle cell lymphoma, emphysema, diabetes mellitus, Type II, bilateral foot neuropathy, and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and antisocial personality disorder.
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