The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for cause of death, finding insufficient evidence to link his cardiomyopathy or left eye disability to his death. The appeal is dismissed.
The deciding factor: There was no competent medical evidence linking the Veteran’s heart disorder and cause of death to active duty service or a service-connected condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Cardiomyopathy, Left Eye Disability
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 10, 2020
- Citation
- 20052920
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 20052920.
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 Veteran's claim for service connection for heart condition was granted with an effective date of August 1, 2019. The decision is based on evidence showing exposure to diesel and gas fuel during service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's heart conditions may be related to his service-connected sleep apnea and/or generalized anxiety disorder, but further examination is needed to determine causation.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for right eye, left eye, left knee, and back disabilities due to conflicting statements from the Veteran and inconsistencies in his medical records.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of adequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's heart conditions and their relation to service. The Veteran is asked to provide an addendum opinion from a qualified medical professional.
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