The Board denied service connection for a heart disorder and the cause of the Veteran's death, as there was no evidence to support a medical nexus between the conditions and the Veteran's military service.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show that the Veteran had a current disability during his lifetime that began during service or was at least as likely as not related to an in-service injury, event, or disease. There was also no evidence of exposure to herbicide agents during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Heart disorder, Cause of death
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 1, 2025
- Citation
- 25005942
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 appeal was denied for service connection of a cervical spine disorder, and several claims were remanded for further development.
- Partly granted
The Board granted the reopening of claims for service connection for a heart disorder, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and gout. The remaining claims were remanded for further development.
- Dismissed
The appeals for service connection for a heart disorder, Parkinson's disease, pulmonary disorder, skin rash, and posttraumatic stress disorder are dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for further development to determine if the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his service.
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