The Veteran's death was not caused by, or substantially or materially contributed to, a service-connected disability. The criteria for increased ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the left and right upper extremities were not met.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support that any service-connected disabilities caused or contributed to the Veteran’s death from an intestinal perforation. The Veteran's service-connected conditions did not contribute substantially or materially to cause his death, as there is no competent evidence establishing a connection between those disabilities and the fatal disease process.
- Claimed conditions
- Prostate cancer, Bilateral hearing loss, Tinnitus, Diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM), Peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity associated with DM, Peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity associated with DM
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- September 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19171387
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 19171387.
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.
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The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
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The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed his appeals regarding increased ratings for tinnitus and a right hand disability due to lack of timely filing of Notice of Disagreement.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including GAD, MDD, bruxism, migraines/headaches, tinnitus, hip pain, iliotibial band syndrome, and leg stress fractures. The evidence does not support current diagnoses of these conditions during the appeal period.
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