The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was caused by his service-connected conditions, and thus grants service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death. The claim for accrued benefits is denied as there were no pending claims at the time of the Veteran's death. The Appellant's request for entitlement to a death pension is remanded due to the conflict in determining whether the Veteran's death was service-connected or not.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected conditions, particularly his back disability, contributed substantially to his fall and subsequent death from pneumonia.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, tinnitus, residual fracture of the left great toe
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 20, 2016
- Citation
- 1624635
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 1624635.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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