The Board denied entitlement to service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death under 38 U.S.C. § 1151, finding that there was no VA treatment or referral shown and concluding that the claim must be denied as a matter of law.
The deciding factor: There was no VA treatment or referral shown, and the Board concluded that the claim must be denied as a matter of law.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis left knee, Status post right quadriceps tendon rupture and surgical scar right knee status post right quadriceps repair, Obstructive sleep apnea, DJD of the lumbar spine with intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), DJD of the bilateral ankles (claimed as Achilles tendonitis), Tinnitus, Status post gall bladder injury, right lower extremity neuralgia, DJD left wrist, S/p right long finger fracture, Hypertension
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 12, 2026
- Citation
- 26002060
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 26002060.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed his appeals regarding increased ratings for tinnitus and a right hand disability due to lack of timely filing of Notice of Disagreement.
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