The Board denied entitlement to service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death, finding that there was no evidence to support the contention that the medications used to treat his service-connected disabilities caused his death.
The deciding factor: There is no probative and competent evidence tending to indicate that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities either caused or contributed substantially or materially to his death, to include the medication he was taking at the time of his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Coronary Artery Disease, Atrial Fibrillation, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 22, 2019
- Citation
- 19131178
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) effective July 20, 2021, but denied an initial disability rating in excess of 50 percent for obstructive sleep apnea.
- Denied
The Board denied earlier effective dates for the award of a 100 percent rating for PTSD and major depressive disorder, an earlier effective date for TDIU due to service-connected conditions, and a compensable rating for hypertension. The claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and coronary artery disease were remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for COPD, obstructive sleep apnea, atrial fibrillation, and hypertension as not being related to the Veteran's active duty or secondary to his service-connected GAD. However, congestive heart failure was granted due to a secondary relationship with his service-connected GAD.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his service-connected PTSD and coronary artery disease contributed to his death.
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