The Veteran's death was not caused by or a result of his service-connected conditions, and therefore, the claim for service connection for cause of death is denied.
The deciding factor: The VA opinion concluded that the Veteran's coronary artery disease and subsequent death were unrelated to his service-connected RBBB with bradycardia, which are common variants in young athletes.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Bundle Branch Block, Bradycardia, Degenerative Arthritis of the Lumbar Spine, Brachial Neuropathy of the Left Shoulder, Left Calcific Achilles Tendinitis, Residuals of a Laceration to the Finger
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 27, 2014
- Citation
- 1408397
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 1408397.
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: Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's cardiac condition, including bradycardia with an implanted pacemaker, is not service-connected due to lack of evidence linking it to his military service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claims for service connection for GERD and bradycardia have been denied. The Board has also remanded the Veteran's claims regarding hypertension, right knee instability, and limitation of motion.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee degenerative arthritis and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, finding no clear and unmistakable error in the July 2019 rating decision.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's initial ratings for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and radiculopathies of both lower extremities have been granted, with effective dates from December 3, 2020, to October 7, 2024.
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