The Veteran's service-connected conditions did not cause or contribute substantially to his death. The Board denied the claims for service connection for the cause of death, DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318, and an effective date prior to February 1, 2008, for payment of VA improved death pension benefits.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's generalized anxiety disorder did not cause or contribute substantially to his congestive heart failure, renal failure, or diabetes mellitus. The service-connected conditions were not the immediate or underlying causes of his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Right Foot Cold Injury Residuals, Left Foot Cold Injury Residuals, Flatfeet
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- August 11, 2011
- Citation
- 1129782
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 1129782.
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 Board has determined that the Veteran's generalized anxiety disorder is related to his active-duty service and has granted service connection for this condition.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected Generalized Anxiety Disorder with Major Depressive Disorder is rated at 50 percent, effective December 14, 2021. The Board also granted a TDIU based on the Veteran's service-connected conditions.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, panic disorder, major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and ADHD, finding that these conditions had onset during his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for various psychiatric disabilities, arrhythmia, cardiac amyloidosis, and CAD/arteriosclerotic heart disease are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.