The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that his causes of death were not related to service and that his service-connected disabilities did not contribute substantially or materially to his death.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran’s causes of death (cardiogenic shock and aortic stenosis) were incurred in or aggravated by service, nor do they find that his service-connected disabilities contributed substantially or materially to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Peripheral neuropathy, Degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, Schizophrenia, Tendonitis with a history of bursitis of the left shoulder, Hypothyroidism, Scars, status-post basal cell carcinoma removal
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 7, 2019
- Citation
- 19184573
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 appeal was denied for service connection of a cervical spine disorder, and several claims were remanded for further development.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a higher level of special monthly compensation (SMC) as he does not meet the criteria for an increased rate based on his service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment, thus granting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, right hand tremors, left hand tremors, gout, and chronic kidney disease to obtain outstanding VA treatment records and provide a medical examination.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.