The Board found that the Veteran's cause of death (hypoxia, cardiopulmonary arrest, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and end stage Alzheimer's disease) were not causally or etiologically related to any service-connected condition. The Board also determined that none of the Veteran's service-connected conditions contributed substantially or materially to his death.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not support a link between the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and his cause of death, nor did it show that these conditions contributed substantially or materially to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- varicose veins of the left leg, residual GSW of the left thigh and leg with limitation of motion of left hip and knee with damage to lumbar nerve plexes, residual abdominal surgery for repair of GSW
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 2, 2012
- Citation
- 1211961
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 1211961.
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 Veteran's service connection claim for obstructive sleep apnea is granted. The claims for varicose veins of the right leg and left leg are remanded due to insufficient evidence.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for a left upper extremity nerve condition and remanded the claims for varicose veins of both legs due to an inadequate medical opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for lumbar spine condition L4-5, varicose veins of the left leg, and varicose veins of the right leg due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an increased disability evaluation for varicose veins of the left leg, finding that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent.
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