The veteran's death was not service-connected, but he had a total disability rating for PTSD that lasted more than 10 years before his death. Therefore, DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 are granted.
The deciding factor: The veteran's only service-connected condition (PTSD) was rated at 70% and considered unemployable due to PTSD by VA medical opinion upon hospital discharge in August 1992, leading to a 100% schedular rating effective September 1, 1992. This meets the criteria for DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.
- Claimed conditions
- cardiopulmonary arrest, ethanol cirrhosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- May 26, 2006
- Citation
- 0615388
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 0615388.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death as there was no evidence linking any of the listed conditions to his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, as there was no evidence to support a finding that his cardiopulmonary arrest, metastatic brain disease, or metastatic small cell carcinoma were related to his active duty service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the appeal to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors and to satisfy any statutory or regulatory duty that could aid in substantiating the claim, specifically related to asbestos exposure under the PACT Act.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal for service connection of the Veteran's death to his military service is remanded. The Board needs more medical records from Archbold Medical Center.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.