The Board finds that the Veteran's cause of death, listed as acute respiratory failure due to COPD, was not caused or substantially contributed to by any service-connected condition. The appellant's claim for a heart disability in service is unsubstantiated and speculative.
The deciding factor: No clear evidence supports the appellant’s assertion that the Veteran had a heart disability in service which led to his death from acute respiratory failure due to COPD.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative changes of the cervical spine, Degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, Sinusitis with headaches, Hiatal hernia, Degenerative arthritis of the bilateral elbows and knees, Bilateral hearing loss, Dermatitis of the hands
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 16, 2016
- Citation
- 1636393
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 1636393.
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 claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeals of the initial ratings for his service-connected chronic cough and bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to procedural errors in the evidentiary record.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes planus with hammer toes, hallux valgus and degenerative arthritis, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral kidney cysts, rendered him unable to secure or follow gainful employment. The Board granted the TDIU based on these conditions.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus) do not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.
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