The veteran's cause of death was not service-connected, and the DIC claim based on his service-connected disabilities did not meet the statutory duration requirements.
The deciding factor: The veteran's service-connected disabilities were unrelated to his cause of death, and he did not meet the statutory duration requirements for a total disability rating at the time of death.
- Claimed conditions
- hypoxic respiratory failure, cardiac arrest, interstitial pulmonary fibrosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 2, 2006
- Citation
- 0616033
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 0616033.
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 the cause of death and migraine headaches, but denied an increased rating for PTSD.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of death, determining that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's fatal conditions were caused by his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical opinion to determine if the Veteran's cardiac arrest and hypertension are related to his military service, specifically addressing his complaint of chest pain during service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of death and compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151, finding no evidence that a service-connected condition caused or contributed to the Veteran's death.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.