The Veteran died in December 1976 due to cerebral anoxia caused by a car accident. The cause of death is not attributable to service, any incident of service, or a service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: The autopsy report and the determination by the coroner concluded that the Veteran's cause of death was cerebral anoxia due to subluxation of the atlas and axis with spinal cord compression due to blunt force trauma. The appellant's assertions regarding other conditions noted in the autopsy are not supported by medical evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- Cerebral anoxia, Subluxation of atlas and axis with spinal cord compression, Blunt force trauma
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 10, 2014
- Citation
- 1430962
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 1430962.
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 denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death and also denied DIC benefits. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the Veteran's death to a service-connected disability.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the cause of the Veteran's death, specifically his service-connected disabilities and their role in causing a fall that led to his death.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical evidence on whether the Veteran's death was caused by his service-connected conditions or if any pre-existing conditions were aggravated during service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied entitlement to service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and entitlement to DIC on the basis of 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.
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