The Board found that the veteran's service-connected disabilities did not cause or contribute substantially to his death from right lower lobe pneumonia and chronic renal insufficiency.
The deciding factor: There is no competent evidence linking any of the veteran's service-connected disabilities to his fatal conditions, including pneumonia and renal failure.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic brain syndrome associated with brain trauma, loss of part of the skull, paralysis of the left inferior oblique eye muscle with residual diplopia, epilepsy, generalized xerosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 28, 2006
- Citation
- 0639988
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 seizures, to include epilepsy, as the evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran had a current diagnosis of such a disorder related to his military service.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for epilepsy, bilateral detached retina (previously rated as blurred vision), cervical spine condition, and migraine headaches. However, it granted service connection for hypertension and earlier effective dates for lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy, right lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy, and PTSD.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the service connection claims for carotid artery stenosis, cerebral aneurysm, constipation, epilepsy, and hypertension to correct a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal to restore a 40 percent rating for his service-connected epilepsy, finding that there was an actual improvement in his condition as it pertains to his ability to function under ordinary conditions of life and work.
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.