The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death as there was no evidence that any of the claimed conditions were related to his military service.
The deciding factor: The veteran's fatal respiratory failure, sepsis syndrome, and liver failure were not shown by competent clinical evidence to be related to active service. The in-service acute catarrhal fever did not manifest with respiratory or pulmonary symptoms, and there was no medical opinion linking the claimed conditions to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Respiratory failure, Sepsis syndrome, Liver failure
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 29, 2008
- Citation
- 0814095
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death to consider additional evidence regarding exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
- Granted
The Board granted the claim for Death and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) based on service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, due to his in-service exposures to herbicides and extreme cold temperatures.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical opinion regarding the Veteran's cause of death, specifically addressing whether his respiratory failure, septic shock, hemorrhagic shock, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, and chronic osteomyelitis of the right leg were related to in-service toxic exposure or an in-service right leg injury.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, finding no evidence linking his respiratory failure, pneumonia, malignant neoplasm of the esophagus, gastrointestinal bleeding, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to his military service, including exposure to herbicides and Camp Lejeune contaminated water.
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.