The Veteran died from severe coronary artery disease. The Appellant filed a claim for DIC benefits on May 4, 2015, which was granted with an effective date of May 4, 2014. There is no evidence prior to the Veteran's death that he intended to file a claim for service connection related to Agent Orange exposure.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not file any claims or submit an Intent to File a claim prior to his death and there was no indication of interest in claiming service connection for disabilities related to service, including those potentially linked to Agent Orange exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- Severe coronary artery disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 4, 2021
- Citation
- 21006558
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 21006558.
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 service-connected lumbar spine disability is found to have aggravated his non-service connected heart condition, contributing to his death. Service connection for the cause of his death is granted.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by VA health care, and denied his claim for dependency and indemnity compensation under section 1151 of the U.S. Code.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board found that the cause of death, ischemic cardiomyopathy and severe coronary artery disease, was not related to service. The veteran's cardiovascular issues were first noted six years after his retirement from active duty.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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