The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected condition, as there was no evidence of any service-connected disability at the time of his death. The cause of death listed on his death certificate was COPD, which developed many years after service and was not related to any service-connected conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the Veteran did not have a service-connected condition at the time of his death, making it impossible for any such condition to be considered as the cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- COPD, Pulmonary fibrosis, Tobacco abuse, Hypertension, Insulin dependent diabetes, Alcoholic liver disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 31, 2014
- Citation
- 1456941
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 1456941.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between his current respiratory disability and active duty service. The VA examiner concluded that the COPD was more likely due to tobacco use rather than asbestos exposure in service.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and has remanded the issue of an increased rating for skin condition.
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