The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and entitlement to accrued benefits due to a lack of evidence linking the Veteran's service-connected disabilities to his death, as well as the untimely filing of the claim for accrued benefits.
The deciding factor: There was no medical evidence suggesting that any of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed to his death. Additionally, the claim for accrued benefits was not filed within one year of the Veteran's death.
- Claimed conditions
- sepsis due to pulmonary embolism and deep venous thrombosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 24, 2009
- Citation
- 0910819
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.
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The Board granted service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease, obstructive sleep apnea, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease but denied service connection for irritable bowel syndrome. The Board also denied an increased rating for the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric condition.
- Partly granted
The Board granted restoration of the 10 percent evaluation for left knee meniscus, effective April 21, 2025, and an additional 20 percent rating was also granted.
- Granted
The Board granted an increased (Level 2) stipend in the PCAFC for the Veteran's caregiver due to the need for continuous supervision and protection based on the Veteran's medical conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues for further development and readjudication by the AOJ.
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