The Board has determined that the veteran's death by suicide was not caused by his service-connected disabilities, and therefore, service connection for the cause of the veteran's death is denied. Additionally, the criteria for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) pursuant to 38 U.S.C. § 1318 have not been met.
The deciding factor: The suicide was determined to be due to the veteran's own willful misconduct, specifically his failure to appear in court and make arrangements to turn himself into authorities prior to committing suicide.
- Claimed conditions
- Traumatic below the knee amputation of the right leg, Postoperative medial meniscus tear of the left knee with anterior cruciate deficiency, Chronic brain syndrome due to trauma, Left medial malleolus fracture, Right humerus fracture, Right femur fracture, Left major radius and ulnar fracture with scarring of the left forearm and hand, Low back pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 8, 2006
- Citation
- 0634649
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 0634649.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for low back pain and migraines, effective October 1, 2019. The claim for sciatic nerve pain was remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for low back pain, left shoulder osteoarthritis, right shoulder rotator cuff, right bicep tendonitis, left bicep tendonitis, obstructive sleep apnea, and Meniere's Syndrome (vertigo) to address duty-to-assist errors.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, an increased rating for generalized anxiety disorder with depression (GAD), and a compensable rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae. The claims for service connection for chronic left knee pain, chronic right knee pain, low back pain, neurogenic erectile dysfunction, onychomycosis, and pain and dysfunction of the right shoulder were remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for low back pain, right knee pain, and neck pain (cervical strain) but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The claim for headaches was remanded.
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