The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and determined that the appellant was eligible for death pension benefits effective May 1, 2002.
The deciding factor: There is no competent evidence linking any service-connected disability to a vital organ or other vital body function, and thus the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death cannot be granted. The appellant's countable family income exceeded the maximum allowable income for a surviving spouse with two dependent children.
- Claimed conditions
- cardiorespiratory arrest due to or as a consequence of renal failure, which was due to or as a consequence of dementia, hypertension and atrial fibrillation
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 10, 2008
- Citation
- 0811935
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
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