The Veteran's death was caused by atherosclerosis, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus. The Board finds no evidence to support the appellant's claim that asbestosis exposure during service contributed to cause his death.
The deciding factor: A December 2011 VA provider's opinion found no scientific studies showing that asbestosis causes atherosclerosis, hypertension or chronic renal failure, and opined it was less likely than not (less than 50 percent probability) the Veteran's death was incurred in service.
- Claimed conditions
- Atherosclerosis, Hypertension, Diabetes Mellitus, Chronic Renal Failure
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 28, 2012
- Citation
- 1211280
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 1211280.
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
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- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and has remanded the issue of an increased rating for skin condition.
- Granted
The Board has restored the Veteran's 10% rating for hypertension effective December 1, 2025 and denied a rating in excess of 10%. The reduction from 10% to noncompensable was not proper.
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