The veteran's death was caused by a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, not related to service. The Board found no evidence that any disability related to service contributed substantially or materially to cause his death.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence of a psychiatric disorder during active service and the veteran did not have PTSD. His death occurred as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound unrelated to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Hemorrhagic disruption of the brain, Major depressive disorder, Anxiety
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 1, 2003
- Citation
- 0318656
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 0318656.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted initial ratings of 40 percent for lumbar spine disorder, 70 percent for major depressive disorder, and 40 percent for left lower extremity radiculopathy. TDIU and SMC based on housebound status were also granted.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for GERD as it was aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, but denied service connection for ED due to a lack of evidence showing a current diagnosis. The issue of entitlement to service connection for anxiety is remanded.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, based on the Veteran's military service in Vietnam.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, currently diagnosed as other specified trauma and stressor related disorder and major depressive disorder.
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