The Board denied an earlier effective date for service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, finding no evidence of a formal or informal claim prior to October 25, 2012.
The deciding factor: There was no documentation of a formal or informal claim for service connection for cause of death filed prior to October 25, 2012, and the Appellant's reported phone call in approximately 1994 did not meet the essential criteria for an informal claim.
- Claimed conditions
- Ischemic heart disease (IHD)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 1, 2025
- Citation
- 25008658
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 remands the claim for service connection for a heart disability, to include ischemic heart disease (IHD), due to an incomplete military personnel record and the need for further development of evidence related to exposure to Agent Orange.
- Granted
The Veteran was granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance due to a service-connected prostate disability.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for ischemic heart disease, cardiac hypertrophy, and an initial compensable rating for hypertension. The claims for a breathing condition and lung infection were remanded.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of January 7, 2022, for the award of service connection for ischemic heart disease, hypertension, and tinnitus.
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