The Veteran died in November 2010 due to cardiac tamponade, dissection and rupture of the interpericardial sac, intimal tear of the ascending aorta, and systemic atherosclerosis. The death was not caused by any service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence linking the Veteran's cause of death (cardiac conditions) to his military service or any service-connected condition.
- Claimed conditions
- cardiac tamponade, dissection and rupture of the interpericardial sac, intimal tear of the ascending aorta, systemic atherosclerosis
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 8, 2015
- Citation
- 1524289
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1524289.
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 cardiac tamponade, pericarditis, and aggravation of atrial fibrillation were caused by the carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or similar instance of fault on the part of VA medical care with respect to the treatment he received at a VAMC in November 2017. As such, the appeal for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 is granted.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's cardiac complications are being remanded for a new VA medical opinion to determine if they were proximately caused by the treatment provided by VA in November 2017, including an x-ray taken by a VA technician.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking PTSD with major depression and alcohol abuse to the Veteran's cause of death. The primary cause of death was stage four lung cancer resulting in cardiac tamponade.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's death was caused by morphine toxicity, which is not considered a foreseeable event. The Board finds that VA compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 is warranted.
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