The Veteran's cause of death, injuries due to blunt impact to the head, was not caused by a service-connected disability. The Board found no evidence linking his psychiatric disorders to active duty service and denied both claims for service connection.
The deciding factor: There is insufficient evidence to establish that the Veteran's psychiatric disorders were incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor did they contribute substantially or materially to his cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- psychiatric disorders such as PTSD, bipolar disorder and depression
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 29, 2009
- Citation
- 0948778
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 0948778.
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).
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