The Veteran died of an acute myocardial infarction caused by his willful misconduct of abusing prescription medication.,Neither service-connected bronchial asthma with COPD nor any other condition contributed to the cause of death.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinion determined that the Veteran's death was caused by his own willful misconduct, specifically abuse of prescription medications, rather than a service-connected condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Bronchial asthma with COPD, Degenerative thoracic and lumbar spine disease, Degenerative cervical spine disease, Cervical radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 13, 2012
- Citation
- 1231482
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1231482.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted separate ratings of 30 percent for left upper extremity cervical radiculopathy and 40 percent for right upper extremity cervical radiculopathy, effective March 16, 2017.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to her service-connected disabilities, finding that she was not unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation consistent with her education and work history.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's ratings for cervical radiculopathy in both upper extremities were reduced from 40% and 30%, respectively, to 20%. The Board found that the procedural requirements for reduction of disability ratings were not properly followed and restored the original ratings.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case for a new medical opinion regarding the Veteran's eligibility for PCAFC benefits due to insufficient reasoning in the previous decision. The claim will be reconsidered based on all available evidence, including lay statements and medical opinions.
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