The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and the Appellant does not meet the income requirements for nonservice-connected death pension benefits. The claim is denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not establish that any service-connected condition contributed to the Veteran's cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- Impairment of anal sphincter control, Internal and external hemorrhoids
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 11, 2015
- Citation
- 1506291
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 1506291.
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 Veteran's cause of death was listed as complications of dementia, but an amended certificate lists failure to thrive related to rectal surgery as the immediate cause. The service-connected impairment of anal sphincter control and hemorrhoids are not considered to have caused or contributed substantially to his death.,No service-connected burial benefits were awarded due to lack of service connection for the cause of death.
- Granted
The Veteran's hemorrhoids are large and result in persistent bleeding, frequent recurrences, and excessive redundant tissue. The current rating under the applicable diagnostic code adequately reflects these findings.
- Denied
The Board denied a higher initial rating for impairment of anal sphincter control, finding that the veteran's disability did not meet the criteria for a rating greater than 30 percent.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.