The Veteran's cause of death was not caused by or substantially contributed to by a service-connected disability. However, his pre-existing left tympanic membrane perforation was granted service connection.
The deciding factor: The VA physician and audiologist concluded that the Veteran's service-connected left tympanic membrane perforation did not contribute to his death from aspiration pneumonia.
- Claimed conditions
- Aspiration Pneumonia, Tympanic Membrane Perforation (left)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 6, 2009
- Citation
- 0937934
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 0937934.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied DIC benefits under both the provisions of 38 U.S.C. § 1318 and 38 U.S.C. § 1151, as there is no evidence to support entitlement to these benefits based on service connection or improper VA treatment. The case is remanded for further action regarding the cause of death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error and an issue regarding service connection for cause of death. The Veteran's cause of death is related to his in-service exposure to herbicide agents, but the medical opinion provided was deemed insufficient.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to lack of evidence showing exposure to herbicide agents or other conditions during service, and concluded that lung cancer was not a contributory cause of death.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is service-connected, and this condition contributed to his death from Alzheimer's dementia.
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