The Board found that the Veteran's cause of death (cardiopulmonary arrest, due to or as a consequence of acute respiratory failure, due to or as a consequence of COPD, due to or as a consequence of myocardial infarction) was not caused by any service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner determined that the Veteran's bilateral otitis media did not contribute to his cause of death and there is no credible evidence linking his ear infection to his COPD or other conditions leading to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- COPD, Myocardial infarction, Cardiopulmonary arrest
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 24, 2015
- Citation
- 1517905
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 1517905.
What this means for you
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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 the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking his myocardial infarction and COPD to his military service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, attributing it to his exposure to Agent Orange during service. COPD is considered a disease associated with such exposure.
- Granted
The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for COPD. The Veteran's COPD is presumed due to exposure to herbicides, but the evidence does not support a finding that it began during active service or is related to in-service exposure.
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