The Board found that new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, but concluded that there was no competent evidence linking the cause of his death to military service.
The deciding factor: There is no medical evidence showing a link between the veteran's service and the cause of his death (cardiac tamponade due to pericarditis), nor any evidence of pre-existing conditions or exposure to known risk factors during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Cardiac tamponade, Pericarditis, Bilateral polycystic kidney disease (PKD), Chronic uremia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 22, 2005
- Citation
- 0517007
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 0517007.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for increased rating, service connection, and TDIU have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of all claims prior to the promulgation of a decision.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a cardiovascular disorder, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether symptomatology and conditions suffered during service resulted in the Veteran's current condition.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea and denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability prior to June 5, 2019. The Veteran's pericarditis is currently service-connected.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD, obstructive sleep apnea, residuals of a pulmonary embolism, and pericarditis due to additional development being needed. The claims are inextricably intertwined with the claim for service connection for COPD.
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