The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by or related to his service-connected disabilities, and thus service connection for the cause of death is denied.
The deciding factor: VA medical opinions found no direct link between the Veteran's service-connected conditions and his death from multi-organ failure due to myocardial infarction with severe sleep apnea contributing to it. The examiner concluded that the Veteran’s service-connected foregut disabilities did not cause his death.
- Claimed conditions
- esophageal stricture, duodenal ulcer with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and Barrett's esophagitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 23, 2014
- Citation
- 1423690
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 1423690.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's gastritis and esophageal stricture are granted as service-connected.
- Granted
The Veteran's GERD with hiatal hernia is rated at a 30 percent disability rating, effective March 12, 2021.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's GI disorders are related to his service, but the AOJ needs to determine which specific deployments and activities caused these conditions. The case is being remanded for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that the Veteran's GERD, esophageal stricture, and reflux esophagitis are less likely related to service due to a negative VA opinion. However, the Veteran contends his condition is related to exposure to burn pits during Southwest Asia operations. The Board also notes there is conflicting evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's alcohol use disorder. Therefore, the case is being remanded for further examination and analysis.
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