The Veteran's death was not caused or hastened by any service-connected disability, nor is there evidence to suggest that a service-connected condition contributed substantially or materially to his death.
The deciding factor: There is no competent medical evidence linking the Veteran's cause of death (aspiration) to any service-connected disability. The only service-connected condition noted was PTSD, which the VA examiner opined did not contribute substantially or materially to the Veteran's death.
- Claimed conditions
- Aspiration, Post-operative ileus, Total colectomy for massive lower gastrointestinal (GI) bleed, Diverticulum disease
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 10, 2018
- Citation
- 1801683
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 1801683.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
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