The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected malaria did not cause or contribute to his death, which was due to COPD exacerbation with aspiration and GI bleed as a consequence of left lower lobe pneumonia.
The deciding factor: A VA medical opinion concluded that the Veteran's service-connected malaria did not cause or contribute substantially or materially to the cause of his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), Left lower lobe pneumonia, Gastrointestinal (GI) bleed
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 26, 2010
- Citation
- 1040224
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1040224.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for depression, a neck disability, and COPD due to insufficient evidence.,Service connection is denied for groin disability as there is no persuasive medical or lay evidence of a current disability related to service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and his claim for TDIU is denied.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome, and obstructive sleep apnea. Service connection was denied for gastroesophageal reflux disease, diabetes mellitus, left subclavian artery thrombus status post thrombectomy, and lumbar spine disability. The claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder and sinusitis were remanded.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) and chronic bronchitis pursuant to the PACT Act, denied service connection for chronic sinusitis, and remanded several other claims including those related to gastrointestinal issues, pancreatitis, and hip strains.
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