The Veteran's death from a heart attack was not caused by VA negligence or carelessness, and the excessive bleeding during surgery did not contribute to his death.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support that VA negligence contributed to the Veteran's death, and any potential error in judgment regarding aspirin use did not cause or contribute to the heart attack.
- Claimed conditions
- Myocardial infarction, Aneurysm
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 18, 2009
- Citation
- 0935252
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 0935252.
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.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking his myocardial infarction and COPD to his military service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease and myocardial infarction, status post stent placement, as well as obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for his coronary artery disease prior to February 7, 2018 was denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent. Since February 7, 2018, the Veteran's CAD has been rated at 60 percent due to symptoms such as dyspnea, fatigue, and angina with a METs level greater than 3 but less than 5.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's myocardial infarction is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted.
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