The Veteran died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which was not service-connected at the time of his death and is not presumed to be related to exposure to herbicides. The Board denied DIC benefits and burial benefits as there was no service connection for the cause of death.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's death was due to a non-service-connected condition (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) that did not have a service connection or presumption of service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Malaria, Hodgkin's Disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 22, 2013
- Citation
- 1326843
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 1326843.
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- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher level of SMC was denied as the Board found that he is already in receipt of SMC at the (l) rate based on need for regular aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease with congestive heart failure. A second award of SMC at the (l) rate based on need for regular aid and attendance was not warranted.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that there is no competent evidence linking any principal or contributory cause of his death to his service.
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