The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death, finding that no service-connected disability was a principal or contributory cause of death.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinions found no reliable support for theories linking burn scars to heart disease and found no evidence that any service-connected condition contributed significantly to the Veteran's death.
- Claimed conditions
- Congestive Heart Failure, Coronary Artery Disease, Atrial Fibrillation, Diabetes Mellitus, Chronic Kidney Disease, Cerebral Vascular Accident, Colon Cancer, Gout, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, Hypothyroidism
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 18, 2020
- Citation
- 20073809
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,480 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 20073809.
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 appeal was granted for various disabilities, including service connection for depressive disorder and increased evaluations for diabetic peripheral neuropathy affecting multiple nerve groups. A SMC based on need for aid and attendance was also awarded.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination focusing on his service-connected disabilities and their impact on his eligibility for benefits, as well as his need for aid and attendance.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, along with other disabilities, has resulted in an effective date of April 7, 2022 for the award of TDIU and Dependents' Educational Assistance. The rating for obstructive sleep apnea was also granted on this date.
- Whole decision: Granted
Service connection for OSA is granted, and the Veteran's initial ratings for atrial fibrillation, right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, right upper extremity neuralgia, and left upper extremity neuralgia are all granted at 10 percent.
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