The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no causal link between any in-service condition and the Veteran’s death. The causes of death were attributed to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, hypotension, acute renal failure, and NSTEMI.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinions provided by the Board found no causality between the Veteran's service-connected conditions and his cause of death, concluding that the diseases listed as primary or contributory causes of death had their onset after December 2002, at least 13 years after separation from service.
- Claimed conditions
- Acute on chronic respiratory failure, Acute end stage pulmonary fibrosis exacerbation, Hypotension, Acute renal failure
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 24, 2021
- Citation
- 21010283
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 21010283.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to obtain an adequate opinion regarding the cause of death and its relation to service, including in-service dental treatment. The Veteran died from acute renal failure, metastatic melanoma, cerebral metastasis, or seizure disorder.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that there are duty to assist errors in the current decision and remands the case for further development, including obtaining an ILER and a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's cause of death.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that the Veteran's death was caused by an intraabdominal hemorrhage, acute myocardial infarction, and acute renal failure. The appeal is remanded to obtain a medical opinion on whether these conditions are related to in-service exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was hemorrhagic shock with multiorgan failure and acute gastrointestinal bleed, which the Board found not related to his military service or exposure to toxic chemicals. The claim for service connection for cause of death is denied.
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