The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for the cause of death and basic eligibility for Dependents' Education Assistance (DEA) under Chapter 35. The immediate causes of the Veteran's death were coronary artery disease and atherosclerosis, with significant contributing conditions including diabetes mellitus and COPD.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the conditions causing or contributing to the Veteran's death were not present in service, did not manifest within one year of separation, and are unrelated to his service. The claim for service connection was denied as there is no direct evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 17, 2010
- Citation
- 1018278
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 1018278.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a respiratory disability to obtain an adequate VA examination and additional evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for hypertension and diabetes mellitus to obtain further medical opinions regarding their potential relationship to toxic exposures during active service.
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