The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death, arteriosclerotic heart disease resulting in coronary insufficiency and myocardial failure, was not caused by or substantially contributed to his death by a service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinion found no evidence of active hepatitis C at the time of the Veteran's death, and thus could not find that it substantially and materially contributed to his cause of death. The Board also noted that there is no indication in the record that the Veteran had any post-service treatment for hepatitis C or a liver biopsy reflecting evidence of hepatitis C.
- Claimed conditions
- Arteriosclerotic heart disease, Congestive heart failure, Hepatitis C
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 26, 2012
- Citation
- 1222262
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 1222262.
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 arteriosclerotic heart disease is rated at 100% effective October 25, 2024. His prostate cancer residuals are rated at 60% effective October 25, 2024.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for heart condition was granted with an effective date of August 1, 2019. The decision is based on evidence showing exposure to diesel and gas fuel during service.
- Denied
The Board denied a compensable initial rating for Hepatitis C, finding that the Veteran's condition was asymptomatic and did not meet the criteria for any higher rating.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of ambulance travel expenses incurred on June 17, 2025 due to an emergency heart attack. The ambulance service was provided by a volunteer organization and later intercepted by a higher-tier EMT company.
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