The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and entitlement to Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) under 38 U.S.C. § 1318, finding that the evidence did not support a conclusion that any of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed substantially or materially to his death.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the evidence failed to show that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed to his death, either as principal or contributory causes. The appellant's lay statements were considered but deemed less probative than the medical findings and the Veteran's death certificate.
- Claimed conditions
- Congestive heart failure, Anxiety disorder with depressive disorder, Lumbar strain and degenerative arthritis of lumbar spine (lumbar spine disability), Right lower extremity (RLE) and left lower extremity (LLE) radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 30, 2025
- Citation
- A25039590
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, type II, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, hypertension, asthma/lung disease, vision disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis, leukocytosis, kidney disease/kidney stones, enlarged prostate, sleep apnea, rheumatoid arthritis, lumbar spine disability, right ankle disability, and left ankle disability.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a cardiovascular disability, secondary to hypertension, but denied a compensable rating and an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for congestive heart failure was dismissed as the benefit sought on appeal has been granted.
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