The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death, finding that his service-connected conditions did not contribute to his death. The evidence showed no severe cardiac symptoms or episodes prior to death and the autopsy and death certificates indicated pulmonary complications as the immediate cause of death.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions provided by VA physicians were inconclusive regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease contributed to his death, with some suggesting it was less likely than not that CAD played a role in his death due to lack of severe cardiac symptoms and evidence from the autopsy report.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, coronary artery disease (CAD), degenerative changes, cervical, vertebral bodies, spur formation of calcaneus, left ear hearing loss, uvulopharyngopalatoplasty, seborrheic dermatitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 3, 2020
- Citation
- 20038111
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 20038111.
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 has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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