The Board has denied the claims for service connection for the cause of death, accrued benefits, and basic eligibility for nonservice-connected death pension due to lack of evidence showing a relationship between the veteran's death and his service.
The deciding factor: There is no competent evidence linking the cause of death (heart failure) to the veteran's service or any other condition that could be considered service-connected.
- Claimed conditions
- heart failure
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 9, 2006
- Citation
- 0603795
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,977 · Granted: 27% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0603795.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claims for diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease, and heart failure have been granted on a presumptive basis due to exposure to herbicide agents during service. The claim for glaucoma has been denied as not related to service-connected conditions or in-service herbicide agent exposure.,Service connection for heart failure is granted secondary to service-connected coronary artery disease.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal seeking an effective date prior to January 23, 2014, for the assignment of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is dismissed due to his death.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The remaining claims of service connection for hypertension, kidney disease, COPD, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, stroke, vertigo, and an acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease is remanded due to the need for a medical opinion regarding exposure to burn pits during his military service.
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