The Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine, left sciatic neuritis, and cervical spine disabilities did not cause or contribute to his death. The conditions causing his death (septic shock and pneumonia) are not related to his service or service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: There is no medical evidence linking the Veteran's death to his service-connected disabilities or to any condition that occurred during service.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine degenerative disc/joint disease, left sciatic neuritis due to deranged lumbosacral junction, cervical spine degenerative joint disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 4, 2012
- Citation
- 1219480
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 1219480.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal prior to the Board making a decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for a temporary total rating based on hospitalization or convalescence due to his service-connected cervical spine disability is remanded as the record does not include post-surgical follow-up treatment records from the University of Virginia Hospital.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical spine degenerative joint disease and a back disability due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The case is being remanded for further examination and opinion regarding the claimed back disability.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine degenerative joint disease and lumbar spine degenerative joint disease, including radiculopathy. The decision is based on the Veteran's reported in-service injuries and current medical diagnoses.
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