The Board found that the veteran's injuries from a 1997 motor vehicle accident were due to his own willful misconduct, and thus denied his claim for nonservice-connected pension benefits.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of evidence showed that the veteran was driving at the time of the accident, had tested positive for drugs and alcohol upon admission, and this willful misconduct was the proximate cause of his injuries.
- Claimed conditions
- Closed head injury, Neck fracture
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 23, 2002
- Citation
- 0218663
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 0218663.
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
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.