The Veteran's depression is granted as secondary to his service-connected disabilities.,Service connection for COPD, CAD, and hypertension are granted due to their aggravation by the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.,The cause of death (septic shock due to Klebsiella pneumoniae infection) is attributed to the underlying disease (coronary atherosclerosis), which is service-connected.,Initial ratings for cervical spine disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are denied as they do not meet the criteria for higher ratings.
The deciding factor: The evidence supports that the Veteran's depression has been aggravated by his service-connected disabilities, including CAD, hypertension, and COPD. The cause of death is attributed to the underlying disease (coronary atherosclerosis), which is service-connected.
- Claimed conditions
- Depression, COPD, Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), Hypertension
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 24, 2021
- Citation
- 21031550
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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 21031550.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient findings regarding PTSD and depression, requiring a new VA examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between his current respiratory disability and active duty service. The VA examiner concluded that the COPD was more likely due to tobacco use rather than asbestos exposure in service.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
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