The Veteran's death was not caused by any of his service-connected conditions, and the Board finds that the appellant does not have competent medical evidence to support her claim. As a result, she is not entitled to burial benefits based on the cause of the Veteran's death.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinion found no service-connected disability as the immediate or underlying cause of the Veteran's death and determined that none of his service-connected conditions contributed substantially or materially to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bilateral hearing loss, healed compression fracture of the fifth cervical vertebra with loss of motion, arthritis, and demonstrable wedging deformity, residuals of a fracture of the right humerus with deformity, residuals of damage to the right radial nerve and wrist, gunshot wound of the right shoulder, scar of the right upper lip, neck and arms, residuals of scars from second degree burns to the left thigh, right shoulder, right arm, elbow and dorsum of the right hand, suppurative otitis of the left ear, tinnitus, residuals of a fracture of the proximal phalanges of the right ring and little fingers
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 19, 2015
- Citation
- 1544499
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 1544499.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and PTSD. The Veteran will be asked to provide additional medical records and undergo a VA examination.
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