The Board denied the claim for DIC based on service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death, finding that there was no evidence to support a causal relationship between the Veteran's military service and his cause of death.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined that the Veteran's military service did not contribute materially or substantially to his death. The Board found the medical opinion highly probative and against the Appellant’s claim.
- Claimed conditions
- Congenital narrowing of the left anterior descending coronary artery, Cardiac dysrhythmia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 30, 2020
- Citation
- 20081724
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 882 · Granted: 17% (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 20081724.
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 determined that the Veteran's cause of death was related to his exposure to herbicides in service, and thus service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected anxiety and depressive disorder materially contributed to his death by suicide, leading to a grant of DIC benefits.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the issue due to inadequate medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected asbestos-related pulmonary disease contributed substantially or materially to his death from cardiac dysrhythmia, hypertension, arteriosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, and prostate cancer.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board determined that the veteran's cause of death, congestive heart failure, was not caused by or a result of any service-connected disability. The service-connected conditions did not contribute substantially or materially to his death.
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