The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed substantially to his death, and thus grants service connection for the cause of death.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected conditions, including obesity resulting from a motor vehicle accident, led to his heart disorder which ultimately caused his death.
- Claimed conditions
- dilated cardiomyopathy, bilateral pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis of the left leg, peripheral vascular disease of the right leg, status post fracture with open reduction of the right arm, right forearm scar, head trauma with residual headaches, left knee degenerative joint disease (DJD), status post fracture with open reduction of the left orbit, broken nose
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 23, 2019
- Citation
- 19195911
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 19195911.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case for corrective action due to a failure to notify the Veteran of his right to request a pre-decisional hearing before the Board.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including left knee degenerative joint disease, right knee DJD, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, psoriasis, acquired psychiatric disorder, hypertension, and various other injuries and conditions claimed by the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The case is remanded for further evidentiary development, including the scheduling of an in-person examination or a retrospective estimate from an examiner based on a review of the records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of entitlement to an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent prior to August 20, 2024, and 30 percent thereafter for left knee DJD and entitlement to a TDIU for further development.
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