The Board found that the Veteran's cause of death, multiple pulmonary emboli and arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, was not caused by any incident of service or related to his service-connected disabilities. Therefore, service connection for the cause of death is denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not establish a direct medical nexus between military service and the Veteran's fatal conditions, nor were they shown to be due to a presumptive condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Multiple pulmonary emboli, Arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 17, 2009
- Citation
- 0914621
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 0914621.
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 finds that there is a question of fact regarding whether an effective date prior to December 26, 2007, for the grant of DIC benefits is warranted. The case is being remanded for further development.
- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was not service-connected, and the Board denied entitlement to Special Monthly Pension based on need for aid and attendance or being housebound.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's death was not due to willful misconduct and he did not meet the criteria for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318, as his death was not caused by a service-connected disability.
- Granted
New evidence has been submitted suggesting the Veteran's cause of death was related to his service exposure to Agent Orange. The claim for service connection is being readjudicated.
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