The Veteran's service-connected conditions did not contribute to his death. The Board found that the immediate cause of death was myocardial infarction, but ruled out a causal link between his service-connected bilateral nephrolithiasis and his renal failure.
The deciding factor: The VA medical review concluded that the Veteran’s renal function was normal at the time of his death, ruling out any contribution from his service-connected bilateral nephrolithiasis. The examiner also noted other causes for the Veteran's death such as heart attack and lung cancer.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral nephrolithiasis, paranoid type schizophrenic reaction, hypertensive heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic renal failure
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 23, 2010
- Citation
- 1023449
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 1023449.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and other conditions, rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment prior to July 21, 2025.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertensive heart disease as secondary to his service-connected hypertension.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for TDIU prior to October 18, 2018 due to a lack of evidence showing that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's attorney has withdrawn the appeal for service connection for hypertensive heart disease and diabetes mellitus type II.
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