The Veteran's cause of death was not service-connected, and his service-connected disabilities did not contribute substantially or materially to cause death.,The Appellant's income exceeded the maximum annual pension rate, preventing her from receiving survivor's pension.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not show that any service-connected disability contributed substantially or materially to the Veteran's cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- orthopedic disabilities of the lumbar and cervical spine, herniated nucleus pulposus with left leg radiculopathy, degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine with bilateral radiculopathy, tendonitis with degenerative joint disease in the AC joint of the left arm, bursitis with degenerative joint disease in the AC joint of the right arm, bursitis of the left and right hips, synovitis of the left and right knee, dysthymia, right elbow epicondylitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 15, 2024
- Citation
- A24075452
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,677 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A24075452.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for dysthymia due to inadequate medical opinions and the need for a new examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of recent VA examination, and it is recommended that the Veteran undergoes another examination to assess his current psychiatric disability.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including dysthymia, major depressive disorder, and PTSD, as of March 16, 2005. The decision is based on the evidence showing a formal diagnosis during active duty and consistent lay testimony.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected left knee and bilateral elbow disabilities were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher evaluation for any of the conditions.
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.