The Board found that the veteran's self-inflicted gunshot wound was due to his own willful misconduct, and not due to a mental illness.
The deciding factor: The evidence showed that the veteran had depression but did not meet criteria for insanity at the time of the incident.
- Claimed conditions
- Head injuries, Gunshot wounds
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 23, 2004
- Citation
- 0433907
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 0433907.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case to the RO for additional development due to conflicting legal interpretations and need for factual determinations regarding the appellant's conviction of manslaughter.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for payment of unauthorized medical expenses provided at Legacy Emanuel Hospital from July 31, 2006 to August 11, 2006 is granted in part. The remaining question regarding enrollment in the VA health care system and receipt of services under Chapter 17 within the 24-month period preceding treatment remains unresolved.
- Denied
The Board denied the appellant's claim, finding that his Bad Conduct Discharge barred him from VA benefits.
- Denied
The Board found that the veteran's in-service head injuries did not result in any chronic disease or disorder, and thus denied service connection for residuals of a head injury. The claim for PTSD was remanded.
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