The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of death due to lack of evidence linking the Veteran's conditions to his military service.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not establish that the Veteran's pneumonia, CVA, and CHF were incurred in or related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- non-traumatic pneumonia, non-traumatic cerebral vascular accident (CVA), congestive heart failure (CHF)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 16, 2026
- Citation
- A26004491
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 A26004491.
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: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's heart condition, finding that it is secondary to his service-connected PTSD.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for cardiomyopathy and an initial compensable rating for a scar from a pacemaker implant are being remanded due to the need for clarification regarding his congestive heart failure.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus is found to have caused his hypertension, and the Veteran's service-connected GERD is found to have caused his CHF. Therefore, both conditions are granted as secondary to their respective service-connected disabilities.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal of service connection for hypertension was dismissed due to untimely filing. The Board also remanded the issues regarding compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for kidney failure and congestive heart failure.
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