The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and denied his claim for service connection for cause of death.
The deciding factor: Coronary artery disease and hepatic steatosis were not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor may they be presumed to have been incurred in service. The veteran did not have a service-connected condition that contributed to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, Hepatic steatosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 24, 2005
- Citation
- 0523293
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 0523293.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- 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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including degenerative diseases of the cervical and lumbar spine, radiculopathies affecting various extremities, OSA, hepatic steatosis, and supraventricular arrhythmia.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's low back disability is related to his service, specifically the incident when he tripped over a curb in service. The VA examiner found that the condition is not likely due to or caused by his military service.,The Veteran's hepatic steatosis and portal splenic vein and mesenteric vein thrombosis are related to his service at Camp Lejeune, where he was exposed to contaminated water. The VA examiner noted that there were no medical notes for treatment of liver symptoms during or shortly after service.
- Granted
The Veteran's death was caused by cardiopulmonary arrest due to heart disorders, with significant contributing causes including diabetes and angioplasty. The Board found that the Veteran's PTSD contributed substantially to his heart conditions, leading to a grant of service connection for the cause of death.
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