The veteran's cause of death was not service-connected, and he did not meet the criteria for DIC under section 1318 due to his total disability rating being less than 10 years prior to his death.
The deciding factor: The veteran died from stroke and intracranial bleeding, which were not shown to be related to service. His service-connected disabilities did not cause or contribute substantially to his death. Additionally, he was not rated as totally disabled for a period of at least 10 years prior to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), sensorineural hearing loss, residuals of an excision of a plantar wart on the left foot, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- August 8, 2008
- Citation
- 0826830
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 0826830.
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 claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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