The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death, interstitial pulmonary fibrosis and ruptured abdominal aneurysm, was not caused or aggravated by his service-connected bronchial asthma. The preexisting condition was found to be aggravated during service but is not considered a contributing factor to death.
The deciding factor: The VHA expert opinion concluded that the Veteran's fatal conditions were not related to his service-connected bronchial asthma, and thus did not cause or contribute substantially or materially to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, ruptured abdominal aneurysm
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 16, 2016
- Citation
- 1636344
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 1636344.
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 Board has granted service connection for anti-synthetase syndrome (ASSD) and its associated conditions including interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, polymyositis, rheumatoid arthritis, and Raynaud's syndrome. The decision also grants secondary service connection for these conditions as they are manifestations of ASSD.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for pulmonary hypertension and remanded the claims for emphysema and interstitial pulmonary fibrosis to consider additional evidence related to exposure to herbicides and burn pits.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection due to the Veteran's death, and no jurisdiction remains to adjudicate these claims.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a duty-to-assist error and needs additional development regarding whether the Veteran's asthma is related to his service-connected interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, as well as any aggravation or causation by exposure to CS gas during boot camp.
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