The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and his cause of death (cardiopulmonary arrest due to sepsis due to pneumonia) is not related to any service-connected conditions. The Board denied the claims for DIC, survivor's pension, and accrued benefits.
The deciding factor: The Veteran died from cardiopulmonary arrest due to sepsis due to pneumonia, none of which are service-connected disabilities.
- 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
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of December 8, 2017, for the grant of service connection for rhinitis but denied initial compensable ratings and higher ratings for other conditions.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a right hip sprain and initial disability ratings of 40 percent for right shoulder degenerative joint disease, 40 percent for right elbow epicondylitis, 20 percent for left knee degenerative joint disease, and 20 percent for right ankle degenerative disc disease.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, dysthymia, and anxious distress based on the Veteran's in-service combat-related stressors.
- Partly granted
The Board granted the restoration of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits, effective March 1, 2021. The increased rating for dysthymia was denied.
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