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
- Not verified here — check the original 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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1636344.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection due to the Veteran's death, and no jurisdiction remains to adjudicate these claims.
- Whole decision: 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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