The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that ischemic cardiomyopathy was not caused by or aggravated by service-connected conditions.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinions found no direct link between the Veteran's service-connected leg and back disabilities and his ischemic cardiomyopathy, which was attributed to coronary artery disease.
- Claimed conditions
- ischemic cardiomyopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 7, 2019
- Citation
- 19101584
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 the cause of the Veteran's death, attributing it to active military service and exposure to toxins.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, attributing his systolic heart failure, ischemic cardiomyopathy, and coronary artery disease to active military service, including exposure to toxins.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for hypertension and the cause of death, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the appellant.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic cardiomyopathy, diabetes type II, and left lower extremity PAD are remanded. The Board needs more information about the Veteran's exposures during service.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.