The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, as there was no evidence linking his cardiovascular disease or diabetes to any incident of service.
The deciding factor: There is no competent medical evidence showing a nexus between the veteran's fatal diseases and any incident of service, nor is there evidence of a link between the service-connected orthopedic disability and the ultimately fatal conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Ischemic heart disease, Atherosclerotic heart disease, Diabetes mellitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 9, 2008
- Citation
- 0815406
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 Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the R(1) rate due to his need for regular aid and attendance.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals for increased ratings of ischemic heart disease and diabetes, and these claims are dismissed.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, finding no evidence that his death was related to any injury or disease in service, including exposure to herbicide agents.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.
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