The Board found that the cause of death, dementia, was not caused or contributed substantially to by any service-connected disability. The service-connected conditions (coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, and ischemic cardiomyopathy) were not shown to be related to active duty service.
The deciding factor: The November 2009 VA examination report provided a more probative opinion regarding the cause of death than the private psychologist's letter. The VA examiner noted that there was no evidence of head trauma on MRI and CT testing, which is inconsistent with the private psychologist's assertion that dementia may be caused by head trauma.
- Claimed conditions
- Dementia, Coronary artery disease, Atrial fibrillation, Ischemic cardiomyopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 26, 2010
- Citation
- 1019596
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 1019596.
What this means for you
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