The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected condition, and his service-connected disability did not contribute to his death. The cause of death (cardiorespiratory arrest) is not related to service.
The deciding factor: The VHA opinion determined that the Veteran’s coronary artery disease, which he developed post-service, was the primary cause of his cardiopulmonary arrest and subsequent death.
- Claimed conditions
- cardiorespiratory arrest, recurrent chronic ulceration
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- March 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19115729
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 19115729.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was not service-connected, as the evidence does not support a finding that his cardiorespiratory arrest, septic shock, renal failure and cirrhosis were related to his military service or specifically to Agent Orange exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was caused by multiple conditions, and remands for further development to determine if he was exposed to herbicide agents during service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to an incomplete VA medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected cerebrovascular accident contributed to his death as defined by a specific regulation.
- Granted
The Board has granted the petition to reopen the previously denied claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death. The claim is denied as there is no evidence that the Veteran had ischemic heart disease or coronary artery disease, which are not shown prior to his death.
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