The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for PTSD for accrued benefits purposes and for the cause of death. The veteran had received a diagnosis of PTSD, but there was no credible evidence linking it to any in-service stressor. His liver disease leading to his death was not related to service or due to an inservice viral infection.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not establish a link between the claimed in-service stressors and the veteran's psychiatric symptomatology or PTSD diagnosis, nor could the liver disease that caused his death be attributed to service or any inservice condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Hepatic Encephalopathy, Cirrhosis of the Liver
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 26, 2003
- Citation
- 0325283
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 0325283.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed his appeals regarding increased ratings for tinnitus and a right hand disability due to lack of timely filing of Notice of Disagreement.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is rated at a 70 percent level, reflecting significant occupational and social impairment.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal of the denial for service connection for PTSD has been dismissed because the issue was already under review through Higher-Level Review.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD renders him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, warranting a TDIU.
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