The Board found that the Veteran's terminal cardiogenic shock, severe aortic stenosis, acute kidney injury, and/or acute blood loss secondary to upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage were not related to service or his service-connected conditions. The appellant’s claim for service connection for the cause of death was denied.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinion concluded that there is no evidence supporting an association between the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and his fatal condition, nor did it support a theory that the gunshot wound caused coronary artery disease or severe aortic stenosis.
- Claimed conditions
- cardiogenic shock, severe aortic stenosis, acute kidney injury, upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 9, 2015
- Citation
- 1551603
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 1551603.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's cause of death, which included atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, is presumed to be related to herbicide agent exposure during service at Fort McClellan. The Board granted the claim for service connection for the cause of death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted service connection for hypertension due to herbicide exposure in Guam. The cause of death and DIC claims are remanded as the Veteran's hypertension may have caused or aggravated his other conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, finding that there was no evidence linking his military service to any of the conditions listed on his death certificate.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the AOJ erred in not obtaining a VA medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's in-service exposure to herbicide agents caused his cardiogenic shock, valvular heart disease, and/or pulmonary hypertension. The case is being remanded for this purpose.
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