The Board denied the claim of service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and also found that the appellant did not meet the requirements to be eligible for VA nonservice-connected death pension benefits.
The deciding factor: There was no evidence linking the veteran’s fatal heart condition to his military service, and he did not have a pending claim or established service-connected disability during his lifetime.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatic heart disease, mitral insufficiency, heart failure
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 6, 2006
- Citation
- 0637877
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 0637877.
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The Veteran has withdrawn the appeal for service connection for heart failure, sleep apnea, and erectile dysfunction.
- Dismissed
The appeal is dismissed as the Veteran did not express disagreement with any issue decided by the AOJ within the prior year.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his service-connected disabilities were contributory causes.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal is remanded for further development and medical opinion to address the concerns of the Court and the parties of the Joint Motion.
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.