The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his cervical spine and knee injuries, are found to have contributed substantially or materially to cause the Veteran's death. As a result, DIC benefits based on service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death are granted.
The deciding factor: The private physician's opinion established that the Veteran's service-connected cervical spine and knee injuries created chronic pain and a constant inflammatory response in his body which accelerated his peripheral and cardiovascular disease, substantially contributing to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- left total knee replacement with arthritis, right carpel tunnel syndrome, herniated cervical disc disease at C5-6 and C6-7, status post anterior cervical discectomy and fusion with bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy, post-operative traumatic arthritis of the left knee, varus valgus instability of the left knee, residuals of fractured bilateral ankles and left knee replacement scar
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 0%
- Decision date
- July 28, 2023
- Citation
- 23041507
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 23041507.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for left carpel tunnel syndrome, right carpel tunnel syndrome, left knee ACL tear s/p knee meniscus tear repair (also claimed as gout), and right knee osteoarthritis (also claimed as gout).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that the Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to incomplete records. The VA must attempt to obtain all relevant medical records, including those from the Louisville VAMC from January 2012 through March 2022.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and evaluation, including obtaining medical records and conducting a VA examination.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his depressive disorder with anxious distress was granted, and he is now receiving a 70 percent disability rating. Additionally, the Veteran was granted TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.
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