The Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including peripheral neuropathy of the right arm and residuals of a shell fragment wound to the right upper arm with retained foreign bodies, were a contributory cause of his death from septic shock due to pneumonia.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence is in relative equipoise as to whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed to his death. The Board resolves all reasonable doubt in favor of the appellant and finds that service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is warranted.
- Claimed conditions
- Peripheral neuropathy of the right arm, Residuals of SFW of the right upper arm and elbow with retained foreign bodies
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 20, 2014
- Citation
- 1422702
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 1422702.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy and carpal tunnel syndrome of his arms and hands due to exposure to herbicides, including Agent Orange. The Veteran is presumed to have been exposed during service in an area near the Korean demilitarized zone.
- Granted
The Board granted a 20 percent rating for lumbosacral strain prior to February 11, 2005, and separate 20 percent disability evaluations for left and right lower extremity neuropathy during the entire appeal period.
- Denied
The Veteran's combined disability rating is 70 percent as of September 8, 2008. The Board finds that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the right and left arms was not found to warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent, as the disability picture more closely approximated mild incomplete paralysis.
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