The Board denied service connection for the cause of death, finding that hypertension was not a significant contributor to the Veteran's heart disease and did not substantially contribute to his cause of death. The cause of death listed on the death certificate was lobar pneumonia, chronic respiratory failure, and severe COPD.
The deciding factor: The Board found that while the Veteran had service-connected hypertension, it was not a significant contributor to his development of heart disease and therefore did not substantially contribute to his cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- lobar pneumonia, chronic respiratory failure, severe COPD
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 19, 2023
- Citation
- 23057093
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 23057093.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has readjudicated the previously denied claim of service connection for cause of death, finding that new and relevant evidence supports reopening the claim. However, the evidence does not establish a link between any service-connected conditions and the Veteran's cause of death.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including dental trauma, chronic respiratory failure, headaches, allergic rhinitis and sinusitis, low back disability, left ankle disability, right ankle disability, hemorrhoids, epigastric pain, thyroid disability, monoclonal paraproteinemia, and hip disabilities.
- Granted
The Veteran's daughter was granted special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to errors in duty to assist and potential TERA exposure, requiring a VA examination and opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's respiratory disabilities.
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