The Veteran died in September 2007 and was not entitled to VA compensation or pension benefits at the time of his death. The Board found that he did not meet the criteria for a burial allowance due to lack of service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's death certificate showed respiratory failure as the immediate cause of death, but chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was listed as the underlying cause. At the time of his death, he did not have any pending claims for VA benefits or be in receipt of compensation or pension benefits. The Board determined that he did not meet the criteria for a burial allowance due to lack of service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- respiratory failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 5, 2010
- Citation
- 1008278
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 1008278.
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
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