The Board found that the cause of death, acute cor pulmonale due to pulmonary embolus, was not related to service-connected conditions and denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that varicose veins did not give rise to pulmonary embolism based on their own, and myocardial infarction was more likely than pulmonary embolism as a cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- Acute cor pulmonale, Peripheral vascular disease (PVD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 28, 2009
- Citation
- 0919986
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0919986.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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The Board remands the issues of a higher rating for CAD with atherosclerosis and an earlier effective date for PVD to obtain additional evidence.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of entitlement to a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to April 27, 2022 and service connection for peripheral vascular disease and obstructive sleep apnea due to insufficient evidence.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for further development, including obtaining additional evidence and a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's BLE disabilities are related to in-service environmental exposures.
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