The Board found that the Veteran's cause of death, cardiac arrest, was not caused by or related to his service-connected brain concussion. The claim for accrued benefits also failed as no claims were filed prior to the Veteran's death.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions indicated that the Veteran's brain concussion did not contribute substantially to his death from cardiac arrest.
- Claimed conditions
- Brain Concussion, Cardiac Arrest
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 23, 2012
- Citation
- 1210789
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 1210789.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's death was caused by his conditions (Ventricular Fibrillation, Cardiac Arrest, and Heart Failure), which the Board finds may have been exacerbated or worsened due to VA treatment. The Board is remanding the case for a new medical opinion to determine if VA negligence contributed to the Veteran's death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of medical evidence on whether the Veteran's death was caused by service-connected conditions, including presumed herbicide exposure. The VA is required to obtain an opinion from a clinician regarding the cause of the Veteran's death and its relation to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's cause of death was determined to be related to his service-connected PTSD, which contributed to the sepsis caused by untreated dental issues. The Board granted service connection for the cause of death and denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation benefits based on service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, finding that there was no evidence linking his COPD or cardiac arrest to service.
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.