The Veteran's cause of death was not due to service-connected disabilities, and the VA-prescribed medications did not result in an additional disability or death. The Board found that the medications prescribed for his service-connected conditions were not causally related to his death.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinions determined that the medications prescribed for the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not cause his death, and there was no evidence of negligence on the part of the VA in prescribing these medications.
- Claimed conditions
- mood disorder (claimed as depressive disorder), post-operative right and left knee arthrotomy, thoracolumbar degenerative changes, traumatic arthritis of the left knee, right and left hip strain, recurrent sprain of the left ankle with degenerative changes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 8, 2021
- Citation
- 21068017
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 21068017.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for thoracolumbar degenerative changes was granted, with a uniform 40 percent rating effective December 10, 2021. The VA initially scheduled the Veteran for a back conditions examination in March 2022 to determine his disability level and assigned him this rating based on his limited range of motion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided that the Veteran and his spouse are not eligible for benefits under the VA Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) due to a lack of evidence showing they need personal care services from another individual. The case is being remanded to allow further development.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and right and left hip strain. It denied increased ratings for adjustment disorder with disturbances of sleep, emotions, and conduct; migraine headaches including migraine variants; lumbar spine discogenic disc disease with intervertebral disc syndrome; lower extremity radiculopathy; erectile dysfunction; and special monthly compensation based on loss of use of a creative organ.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including unspecified anxiety disorder with insomnia, anorexia, and bulimia, headaches, lumbosacral strain, right and left hip strain, and vertigo, have prevented her from securing and maintaining substantially gainful occupation.
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