The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and the Board finds that his back condition did not contribute substantially or materially to his cause of death. The VA medical opinion provided a negative nexus between the service-connected back disability and the cause of death.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the service-connected back disability did not cause the Veteran's death and that steroids prescribed for COPD were more likely related to the development of peptic ulcers, which contributed to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- herniated nucleus pulposus (back disability), gastroesophageal reflux disorder, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 15, 2017
- Citation
- 1739754
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 1739754.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for TDIU prior to October 18, 2018 due to a lack of evidence showing that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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The Veteran's emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other spontaneous pneumothorax status post thoracotomy is rated as 100% disabling since February 28, 2024. His major depressive disorder is separately rated at 70%. The Board finds that the Veteran meets the criteria for special monthly compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s) due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions are dismissed due to untimely filing of the Notice of Disagreement (NOD). The appeal is also dismissed as there was no good cause shown for the late filing.
- Dismissed
The appeal concerning the service connection for various conditions has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.
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