The Veteran's cause of death (cardiovascular disease) is not service-connected, and he was not rated totally disabled by VA at any time. The Veteran’s major depressive disorder did not meet the criteria for a higher rating. His left and right knee disabilities were also found to be within the range of normal function.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's service-connected conditions caused or contributed substantially to his death from cardiovascular disease, nor did they result in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas as required for higher ratings.
- Claimed conditions
- Cardiovascular disease, Major depressive disorder, Patellofemoral syndrome of the left knee, Patellofemoral syndrome of the right knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- January 11, 2019
- Citation
- 19103237
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,036 · Granted: 27% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19103237.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder does not render him in need of regular aid and attendance or confined to his home, thus SMC based on housebound status and/or need for regular aid and attendance is denied.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the (o) rate and SMC at the (r)(2) rate, effective January 19, 2025. The decision finds that the Veteran's service-connected conditions warrant these awards due to his need for aid and attendance.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder, as secondary to his already service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for major depressive disorder, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis is related to his in-service harassment. Service connection was denied for a binge eating disorder as there is no evidence of such a condition.
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