The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death due to lack of evidence showing a service-connected disability was either the principal or contributory cause of death.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's death certificate listed cardiogenic shock and myocardial infarction (with aortic stenosis) as causes of death, but there is no evidence linking any service-connected condition to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- cardiogenic shock, myocardial infarction (with aortic stenosis), aortic stenosis
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 1, 2019
- Citation
- 19159985
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,669 · Granted: 23% (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 19159985.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's cause of death, which included atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, is presumed to be related to herbicide agent exposure during service at Fort McClellan. The Board granted the claim for service connection for the cause of death.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for aortic insufficiency, aortic stenosis and congestive heart failure, and carotid artery disease. The conditions are related to in-service exposure to toxic substances and stress.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the severance of service connection for atherosclerotic coronary artery disease/aortic stenosis status post aortic valve replacement was improper, and thus restored the original grant of service connection.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for heart disease and aortic stenosis, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether his current heart issues are related to his in-service diving. The decision resolves reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
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