The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that diabetes mellitus type II was not a principal or contributory cause of death and did not play a role in his fatal heart failure.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support a finding that diabetes contributed to or caused the Veteran's fatal heart failure. The VA examiner found that cardiomyopathy was secondary to muscular dystrophy, not diabetes.
- Claimed conditions
- Shock, Acute renal failure, Right-sided heart failure, Cellulitis, Acidosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 18, 2011
- Citation
- 1119168
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 1119168.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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The Board has granted a 10 percent disability rating for cellulitis, which covers at least 5 percent but less than 20 percent of the Veteran's total body area and at least 5 percent but less than 20 percent of exposed areas affected. The decision satisfies the Veteran's appeal as he testified that this rating would be satisfactory.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to obtain an adequate opinion regarding the cause of death and its relation to service, including in-service dental treatment. The Veteran died from acute renal failure, metastatic melanoma, cerebral metastasis, or seizure disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that there are duty to assist errors in the current decision and remands the case for further development, including obtaining an ILER and a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's cause of death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that the Veteran's death was caused by an intraabdominal hemorrhage, acute myocardial infarction, and acute renal failure. The appeal is remanded to obtain a medical opinion on whether these conditions are related to in-service exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
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