The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death, finding that his suicide was not due to a service-connected disability and thus denying the claim.
The deciding factor: The decision found that while the veteran had multiple service-connected disabilities, his suicide was not caused by any of them or by a service-connected disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- hiatal hernia with ulcer disease, chronic headaches, diabetes mellitus with retrograde ejaculation, cervical strain, ventral hernia, sciatica, shell fragment wound left hand with left index finger fracture, right knee chondromalacia patella with fragment wound right knee, left knee chondromalacia patella, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss with perforated right tympanic membrane, flat feet with history of bilateral fragment wound calf, hemorrhoids
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 28, 2000
- Citation
- 0033802
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0033802.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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