The Board denied the claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his heart conditions were not related to his service or service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no evidence linking the Veteran’s heart conditions and death to his service or service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, valvular heart disease status post aortic valve replacement, ascending aortic aneurysm repair, mitral valve repair
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19101171
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including a bilateral eye disability and cardiovascular conditions, based on the Veteran's in-service occupational exposures.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for coronary artery disease, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, and sinus node dysfunction as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected obstructive sleep apnea.
- Granted
The Board granted the restoration of a 30 percent rating for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, effective September 22, 2018, as the reduction was improper.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the appeal to obtain an opinion from a clinician as to whether it is in the best interest of the Veteran to participate in the PCAFC, given that the Veteran has been determined to be in need of personal care services for at least six continuous months based on an inability to perform certain ADLs.
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