The Board found that the veteran's PTSD, a service-connected condition, was a contributory cause of his death from diabetes and heart disease. The Board granted service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.
The deciding factor: PTSD, a service-connected disability, contributed to the veteran's non-compliance with medical treatment and belligerent behavior, which likely hastened his death from diabetes and heart disease.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Diabetes Mellitus, Coronary Artery Disease, Congestive Heart Failure
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- December 4, 2003
- Citation
- 0333841
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 0333841.
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.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's PTSD was granted a 70 percent rating prior to March 7, 2022, while other claims were denied.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and GAD, as well as tinnitus.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and a psychiatric disability due to insufficient evidence of the severity required for higher ratings.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, as it needs a medical opinion addressing the nature and etiology of the condition prior to October 16, 2023.
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