The Board found no evidence linking the cause of the Veteran's death to service or a service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim.
The deciding factor: A VA physician concluded that diabetes mellitus did not contribute to the development of renal cell carcinoma, which was the immediate cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, diabetes mellitus, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, traumatic arthritis of the left knee, arthritis of the right shoulder, arthritis of the left shoulder, tinnitus, residuals of a fracture of the right third toe, left ear hearing loss, status post hemorrhoidectomy, residuals of encephalitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 90%
- Decision date
- April 16, 2012
- Citation
- 1213930
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 1213930.
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 Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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