The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to drug overdose, finding that there was no competent evidence associating it with military service. The veteran's death was certified as accidental.
The deciding factor: There is no competent evidence showing a diagnosis of PTSD or any other condition related to military service contributing to the cause of death (drug overdose).
- Claimed conditions
- Drug Overdose
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 5, 2006
- Citation
- 0616236
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 175 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0616236.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's spouse died due to a drug overdose, but there was no service-connected disability at the time of death. The claim for service connection for cause of death is denied.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to properly adjudicate the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death. This includes obtaining updated VCAA notice, medical records from various hospitals and providers, verification of service, and any other relevant information.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's death was caused by a drug overdose due to severe degenerative arthritis with neck and back pain, which was proximately caused by VA's incorrect Methadone prescription. The Board found that the cause of death was not willful misconduct and granted DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.
- Whole decision: Denied
The VA treatment in September 2004, including the prescribed medications, did not cause the Veteran's death due to drug overdose and alcoholism. The Board finds that there is no evidence supporting a claim for VA disability compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.
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