The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected bilateral varicose veins did not cause or contribute substantially to his death from pneumonia due to dysphagia, generalized atherosclerosis, and pulmonary fibrosis. The Board found no evidence of a direct link between the Veteran's service-connected condition and his cause of death.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined that the Veteran's varicose veins did not contribute substantially or materially to his death from pneumonia due to dysphagia, generalized atherosclerosis, and pulmonary fibrosis.
- Claimed conditions
- pneumonia, dysphagia, generalized atherosclerosis, pulmonary fibrosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 29, 2016
- Citation
- 1607666
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 1607666.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's pulmonary fibrosis is related to in-service exposure to herbicide agents, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for pulmonary fibrosis as there is no evidence of a current diagnosis.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for pneumonia, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), and asthma as causes of death. The evidence did not support finding that these conditions were related to his service-connected disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to missing records and a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The claims will be readjudicated after obtaining any necessary records.
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