The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death, finding that his service-connected ununited fracture of the right tibia did not contribute substantially or materially to his cardiomyopathy, which was the immediate cause of his death.
The deciding factor: The reviewing cardiologist concluded that the veteran's service-connected condition (ununited fracture of the right tibia) did not contribute materially and substantially to the cause of his death (cardiomyopathy).
- Claimed conditions
- Cardiomyopathy, Ununited fracture of the right tibia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 2, 2005
- Citation
- 0502478
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 0502478.
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 hypertension, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure with ICD placement, diabetes mellitus, gastroesophageal reflux disease, tinnitus, sinus tachycardia, and cardiomyopathy. The claims for irritable bowel syndrome and an acquired psychiatric disorder were remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for a liver disorder and kidney disorder, while remanding claims for cardiomyopathy, right lower extremity disorder, left lower extremity disorder, hypertension, systemic lupus erythematosus, diverticulosis in the sigmoid colon, and left nose scar status post basal cell carcinoma removal.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for a liver disorder and kidney disorder, while remanding claims for service connection for cardiomyopathy, right lower extremity disorder, left lower extremity disorder, hypertension, systemic lupus erythematosus, diverticulosis in the sigmoid colon, and left nose scar status post basal cell carcinoma removal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for the cause of death and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) to correct a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error, as the VA examinations are inadequate.
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