The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death due to lack of evidence linking any diagnosed conditions to his period of service. The claim for nonservice-connected death pension benefits was also denied as there is no legal entitlement under the law.
The deciding factor: There is no medical evidence or competent opinion linking the causes of death (overwhelming sepsis, atherosclerotic heart disease, pulmonary tuberculosis, and hepatorenal syndrome) to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Overwhelming sepsis, Atherosclerotic heart disease, Pulmonary tuberculosis, Hepatorenal syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 25, 2008
- Citation
- 0802815
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 0802815.
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.
- Granted
The Board has restored a 60 percent disability rating for ischemic heart disease, coronary artery disease, and atherosclerotic heart disease (IHD) effective September 13, 2023. The decision concludes that the reduction in rating from 60 percent to 30 percent was not proper due to actual improvement in the Veteran's condition under ordinary conditions of life and work.
- Denied
The Veteran's death was not caused by a disability incurred in or aggravated during his military service, and the Board denied entitlement to service connection for the cause of death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, and atherosclerotic heart disease to obtain additional medical opinions.
- Granted
The Board grants the Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date of January 25, 2022, for the award of service connection for heart disabilities based on direct service connection.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
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.