The Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected condition, and the Board finds that none of his service-connected disabilities contributed to his cause of death.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence shows that the Veteran's respiratory conditions were the primary causes of his death, with no causal link found between his cold injury residuals or other service-connected conditions and his death.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of cold injury of the right and left hands, residuals of cold injury of the right and left lower extremities, peripheral vascular disease of the left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 90%
- Decision date
- January 16, 2013
- Citation
- 1301786
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 1301786.
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 appeals for service connection for peripheral vascular disease of the bilateral lower extremities and a back disorder have been dismissed as he has withdrawn his appeal.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran requires regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, low back disability, peripheral vascular diseases of both lower extremities, diabetes mellitus, tinnitus, radiculopathy of both lower extremities, erectile dysfunction, onychomycosis, hypertension, and skin cancer. As a result, the Veteran is granted special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for benign prostatic hyperplasia and remanded the claims for left hand malignant melanoma, malignant melanoma of the face, heart disability, aortic aneurysm, and peripheral vascular disease of both lower extremities.
- Partly granted
The veteran's appeal resulted in a mixed decision. Some ratings were granted, such as a 30 percent rating for anemia secondary to diabetes mellitus and increased ratings for diabetic neuropathy. However, other claims, including higher ratings for diabetes mellitus and earlier effective dates for service connection, were denied.
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