The Board found that the veteran did not have any service-connected conditions that caused or contributed to his death. The cause of death was attributed to pneumonia with sepsis, which occurred during a hospitalization in February 1994.
The deciding factor: Service connection could not be established as there was no evidence linking the fatal disorders to service or service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- COPD, bullous emphysema, persistent pneumothorax, metaplasia of the tracheal ring, hypotension, pneumonia with sepsis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 22, 2006
- Citation
- 0605064
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for COPD, finding that the evidence does not support a link between the Veteran's respiratory condition and his military service, including exposure to Agent Orange.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions and a TDIU, as the evidence did not support a finding that any of these disabilities were related to the Veteran's military service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for squamous cell cancer and denied the claims for an earlier effective date, service connection for implanted cardiac pacemaker, and several other conditions.
- Granted
The Veteran's COPD precluded him from obtaining and maintaining substantial gainful employment, warranting a Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU).
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