The Board found that the service-connected undifferentiated schizophrenia did not cause or contribute substantially to the Veteran's death. The VA medical opinions indicated that his CAD and ischemic cardiomyopathy, which were associated with herbicide exposure, did not cause or contribute substantially to his death.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinions concluded that the Veteran's service-connected undifferentiated schizophrenia did not cause his death, but his CAD and ischemic cardiomyopathy, which were related to his service, did not contribute substantially to his death due to their occurrence after a catastrophic event (cerebrovascular accident) and his unresponsive state.
- Claimed conditions
- undifferentiated schizophrenia, CAD (coronary artery disease), ischemic cardiomyopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 19, 2017
- Citation
- 1712776
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1712776.
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.
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The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension, chronic kidney disease, CAD, diabetes, and obstructive sleep apnea due to a duty to assist error. The Veteran contends that his conditions are related to in-service exposure to diesel fuel exhaust.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a duty-to-assist error regarding the Veteran's exposure to asbestos and Agent Orange during service. The claims are now pending for further development.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's heart disability, including as secondary to service-connected disabilities, is remanded due to a duty to assist error in the March 2019 VA examination.
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