The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death, finding that Alzheimer's dementia was not related to his military service.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinion found no evidence linking the Veteran’s Alzheimer's and/or dementia to his in-service head injuries, and the Board determined that there is no reasonable doubt against a finding that the Veteran's death was not related to his active service or any service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Alzheimer's dementia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 18, 2020
- Citation
- A20017164
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation A20017164.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Alzheimer's dementia as secondary to bilateral hearing loss and special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance due to the Veteran's dementia.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's Alzheimer's dementia is granted as service connected due to exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam, including Agent Orange.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the claim that the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss contributed to his death due to Alzheimer's dementia and failure to thrive, finding that there was no causal connection.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board granted service connection for Alzheimer's dementia, finding it is at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's in-service exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.
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