The Board denied the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for cause of death, finding that his service-connected PTSD did not contribute to or cause his death. The Board also found that secondary service connection for coronary heart disease was not warranted.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD did not cause or contribute to his death and that it did not aggravate his coronary heart disease, which is a condition he was already diagnosed with after 1987 when he quit smoking. The examiner noted other risk factors for coronary artery disease such as history of smoking, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and genetics.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic lymphocytic leukemia, coronary heart disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 24, 2022
- Citation
- 22017086
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 22017086.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for TDIU was denied as the evidence did not establish that he is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Veteran's causes of death were not found to be service-connected, as there was no credible evidence linking the conditions to his military service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection on multiple conditions have been dismissed due to his death during the appeal process.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary heart disease is being remanded due to the need to obtain his service treatment records, which were not fully obtained before the April 2020 rating decision.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.