The Veteran's death was not found to be the result of VA carelessness, negligence, or error in judgment. The cause of death was attributed to staphylococcal bacteremia due to an infected PICC line, which is considered a natural progression and not reasonably foreseeable.
The deciding factor: The proximate cause of the Veteran's death was his underlying medical conditions rather than VA care, as the infection was likely a result of the natural course of his illness.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic heart failure, Dilated ischemic cardiomyopathy, Atherosclerotic coronary vascular disease, Staphylococcal bacteremia, Acute and chronic renal failure
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 22, 2011
- Citation
- 1142896
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 1142896.
What this means for you
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- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was attributed to circulatory collapse. The Board denied service connection for atherosclerotic coronary vascular disease and psychiatric condition, finding no evidence linking these conditions to military service.
- Denied
- Denied
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