The Board found that the veteran's service-connected disabilities did not contribute substantially or materially to his death, and thus denied the claim for service connection for cause of death.
The deciding factor: The VA medical examiner concluded that there was no evidence showing a direct link between the veteran's service-connected conditions and his cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, arteriosclerotic heart disease, bronchitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 15, 2004
- Citation
- 0419016
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 0419016.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease, obstructive sleep apnea, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease but denied service connection for irritable bowel syndrome. The Board also denied an increased rating for the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric condition.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for neurologic signs or symptoms due to toxic exposure at Camp Lejeune and remanded the claim for further development regarding bronchitis.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bronchitis, COPD, asthma, and plantar fasciitis as not being related to the Veteran's military service. The Board also denied an increased rating for painful malunion of the left clavicle, compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the claims for service connection for bronchitis, COPD, asthma, compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for OSA, and an increased rating higher than 20 percent for painful malunion of the left clavicle.
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