The Board denied entitlement to service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and to service-connected burial benefits, as there was no evidence that a service-connected disability caused or contributed substantially to the Veteran's death.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence is against a finding that the Veteran's cause of death is related to his service. Cardiovascular disease, including aortic stenosis and congestive heart failure, was not present during the Veteran's military service; arteriosclerosis may not be presumed to have been incurred therein; and the evidence does not support a causal connection between any service-connected disability and the Veteran's cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- Aortic stenosis, Congestive heart failure, Asbestosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 19, 2009
- Citation
- 0910397
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for asbestosis, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rhinitis, sinusitis, and asthma. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was also denied a compensable rating.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, type II, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, hypertension, asthma/lung disease, vision disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis, leukocytosis, kidney disease/kidney stones, enlarged prostate, sleep apnea, rheumatoid arthritis, lumbar spine disability, right ankle disability, and left ankle disability.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a cardiovascular disability, secondary to hypertension, but denied a compensable rating and an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.
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