The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are not considered to have caused or contributed substantially to his death due to cardiopulmonary arrest. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of clear and unmistakable error in prior decisions regarding his disability ratings, nor is there any basis for reopening claims based on new evidence.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions provided do not establish a direct causal link between the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and his death. The dysphagia, coronary artery disease, and dementia are considered to be unrelated to his service or service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- headaches, residuals of lumbosacral strain, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 13, 2015
- Citation
- 1547878
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 1547878.
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.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- 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.
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