The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by or a result of his service-connected psychiatric disability. The appellant does not meet the criteria for eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinion concluded that the veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability did not cause or substantially and materially contribute to his death, and there was no evidence of a causal connection between the causes of his death and active duty.
- Claimed conditions
- Conversion reaction manifested by hysterical paralysis of the right hand, Ischemic cardiomyopathy, Diabetes mellitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 19, 2008
- Citation
- 0843963
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 0843963.
What this means for you
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- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disability, ischemic cardiomyopathy, and other disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation since December 29, 2020. Effective from that date, the Veteran is granted TDIU and SMC housebound.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of ambulance travel expenses incurred on June 17, 2025 due to an emergency heart attack. The ambulance service was provided by a volunteer organization and later intercepted by a higher-tier EMT company.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and thus denied his claim for service connection for cause of death.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his heart condition was not related to his military service and could not be presumed due to herbicide exposure. The Board also found insufficient evidence linking his heart condition to asbestos exposure during service.
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