The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus, right and left lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and hypertension contributed to his death from severe sepsis due to pneumonia and urinary tract infection. Therefore, service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.
The deciding factor: The private medical opinion provided a well-reasoned link between the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus and hypertension to the development of fatty liver disease (progressing to cirrhosis) which contributed to his death from sepsis.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, right and left lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy, hypertension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 7, 2026
- Citation
- A26031557
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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation A26031557.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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