The Veteran's cause of death was listed as recurrent aspiration pneumonia due to end stage vascular dementia. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence is against a finding that his service-connected conditions caused or contributed substantially or materially to his death.
The deciding factor: There is no credible evidence showing that the Veteran had recurrent aspiration pneumonia or end stage vascular dementia in-service, and there was no medical opinion linking these causes of death to his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- recurrent aspiration pneumonia, end stage vascular dementia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 16, 2009
- Citation
- 0926550
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 0926550.
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 Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and the Appellant did not qualify for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by a service-related condition, and thus denied entitlement to dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) based upon service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.
- Denied
The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and the appellant does not meet the requirements for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.
- Denied
The Board found that the veteran's cause of death was not caused by or substantially contributed to by a disability incurred in or aggravated by his military service, including exposure to herbicides. The medical records did not establish a link between hypertension and the veteran's stroke.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.