The Board denied entitlement to service connection for the cause of death, finding that a service-connected disability did not cause or substantially contribute to the Veteran's death.
The deciding factor: The evidence was persuasively against a finding that any service-connected disability caused or contributed to the Veteran's death due to acute pancreatitis, which was determined to be primarily from medical causes and not related to his service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- fracture of the right ankle with recurrent neuroma and osteomyelitis, pulmonary embolus and thrombophlebitis of the right lower extremity, right orchectomy, gunshot wound to the right thigh with damage to muscle group XIV, post-operative left inguinal hernia, type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2), heart disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 5, 2023
- Citation
- 23000626
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 Board granted service connection for a heart disorder, specifically atrial fibrillation, due to exposure to herbicide agents during active duty service in the Republic of Vietnam.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for heart disorder, stroke residuals, sleep apnea, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) to obtain addendum opinions addressing specific risk factors.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection and increased ratings due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for a respiratory disorder, heart disorder, diabetes mellitus type II, and hypertension, as well as entitlement to a special monthly pension, due to insufficient evidence regarding in-service exposure to herbicide agents.
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