The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not contribute to his death. The preponderance of evidence is against a finding that any service-connected disability caused or contributed substantially or materially to the cause of the Veteran's death.
The deciding factor: The June 2011 VA medical opinion found no causal connection between the Veteran's service-connected back and lower extremity disabilities and his fatal pleural effusions, which was the immediate cause of death. The appellant's contention that these conditions caused or contributed to the Veteran's death is not supported by competent evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- Dermatitis, Residuals of a second lumbar vertebrae fracture, Left lower extremity weakness, Right lower extremity weakness, Residuals of a nasal facture, Residuals of a tonsillectomy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 20, 2014
- Citation
- 1428032
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 1428032.
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: Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is granted an initial 70 percent evaluation, effective September 23, 2024. The Veteran's dermatitis remains at a 10 percent evaluation.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's PTSD was granted an initial evaluation of 50 percent, dermatitis as of December 4, 2024 was granted a 10 percent evaluation, and kidney stones were denied. Service connection for allergic rhinitis and bilateral lower extremity neuropathy were also denied.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for initial compensable rating for allergic rhinitis from August 12, 2020, to December 18, 2020 is denied. The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for dermatitis and obstructive sleep apnea due to toxic exposure risk activities during service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied all increased rating claims for various conditions, including allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, and dermatitis. The Veteran's service connection claims were also denied.
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