The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death, including aspiration pneumonia due to Parkinson’s disease and contributing causes such as arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease with associated coronary artery bypass graft, are not at least as likely as not related to a service-connected disability. The VA examiner's opinion is considered more probative than the private practitioner's opinion.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no connection between the Veteran’s service-connected partial removal of his lung, duodenal ulcer, or spinal disc condition and the primary or contributory causes of his death, including aspiration pneumonia, Parkinson’s disease, arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, or coronary artery bypass graft.
- Claimed conditions
- Parkinson's Disease, aspiration pneumonia, arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, coronary artery bypass graft
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 22, 2018
- Citation
- 18104441
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 18104441.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence and a need for further examination. The Veteran's claim is related to his exposure at Camp Lejeune, but there are questions about whether he currently has Parkinson's Disease or Parkinsonism.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for CAD, heart block, and coronary artery bypass graft was granted with an effective date of January 9, 1998.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected Parkinson's Disease, but denied it based on direct causation.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.
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