The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed to his death by making him more susceptible to developing endocarditis, which was the principal cause of death.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran’s service-connected conditions rendered him materially less capable of resisting the endocarditis infection, leading to a finding in favor of the Appellant.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertensive cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, type II, amputation of below the left knee, recurrent pancreatitis, status post-operative removal of a bullet from the subcutaneous abdominal wall, erectile dysfunction associated with diabetes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- September 19, 2019
- Citation
- 19173156
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 19173156.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the claims for sleep apnea and an increased disability rating for diabetes mellitus, type II.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD. The decision finds that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II is proximately due to his service-connected PTSD.
- Granted
The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, is granted on a secondary basis with obesity serving as an intermediate step due to service-connected low back disability, sciatica, and right shoulder disabilities.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and left arm tremors. Service connection for right hand tremors is also granted. The Veteran's tinnitus claim was denied as there is no current diagnosis of tinnitus.
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