The Veteran's death was caused by complications of a blood transfusion, specifically Transfusion Related Acute Lung Injury (TRALI). The Board found that the cause of death was not due to negligence or fault on the part of VA in providing medical care.
The deciding factor: The Veteran developed respiratory distress immediately following blood transfusions and subsequently died from cardiopulmonary arrest. The exact timing of events is unclear, but the evidence supports a finding that TRALI caused his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Brain herniation, Respiratory arrest, Cardiac arrest
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 30, 2020
- Citation
- 20008239
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter to obtain relevant SSA records that could provide information pertinent to the Veteran's appeal.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding no evidence that a disability incurred in or aggravated by service either caused or contributed substantially to his cardiac arrest.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for the Veteran's cause of death due to cardiac arrest and brain cancer, as well as a possible contribution from his service-connected anxiety disorder.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that none of his service-connected disabilities caused or contributed to his cardiac arrest and cirrhosis of the liver.
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