The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and entitlement to dependency and indemnity compensation under 38 U.S.C. 1318, as there was no evidence linking the Veteran's service or any service-connected disability to his cause of death.
The deciding factor: The November 2024 VA medical opinion stated that the evidence supported that the Veteran's cause of death was of independent origin from the service-related disabilities; and it was less likely than not that the service-connected disabilities contributed substantially or materially to cause death.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), Right Knee Stiffness, Left Ear Hearing Loss, Right Lower Extremity Varicose Veins, Scar
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 28, 2025
- Citation
- A25047397
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 a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to an inadequate medical opinion.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of February 21, 2007, for the award of service connection for PTSD and major depressive disorder with anxious distress.
- Granted
The Board granted a rating of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI), as the Veteran's symptoms most nearly approximated occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.
- Granted
The Board granted a disability rating of 70 percent for PTSD and a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.
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