The Veteran's cause of death was listed as aspiration pneumonia and cerebral vascular accident with contributory causes listed as chronic debility and chronic obstructive lung disease. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence is against a finding that any service-connected disability caused or contributed to his death.
The deciding factor: There were no in-service events, injuries, or diseases that led to the Veteran's cause of death, which included aspiration pneumonia, cerebral vascular accident, chronic debility, and chronic obstructive lung disease. The Board found that these conditions did not have their onset during service or are otherwise causally related to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- aspiration pneumonia, cerebral vascular accident, chronic debility, chronic obstructive lung disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 24, 2019
- Citation
- A19002190
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.
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical opinion regarding the etiologies of the Veteran's depression, alcohol use disorder, hypertension, and COPD in relation to his cause of death.
- Granted
The veteran's service-connected PTSD and other disabilities qualify him for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and special monthly compensation based on housebound status.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type 2, erectile dysfunction secondary to diabetes mellitus, and chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) as a result of exposure to herbicides. The appeal is dismissed due to the Veteran's death.
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