The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD did not cause his death or contribute substantially to it. The cause of death was a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm with an underlying infection, and there is no evidence linking the Veteran's PTSD to these conditions.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's age and other medical co-morbidities were more likely than not the primary causes of his death, and that his service-connected PTSD was less likely than not a contributing cause of it.
- Claimed conditions
- ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm, infection
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 28, 2010
- Citation
- 1015616
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 1015616.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and determined that July 30, 2012 is the earliest effective date allowed. The decision does not address any other issues or provide a rating assigned.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the VA medical opinion obtained in October 2023 is inadequate and constitutes a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The Veteran's claim of entitlement to compensation benefits under 38 U.S.C. 1151 for infection and inflammatory reaction due to internal right knee prosthesis, due to treatment by VA, is remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various conditions, including hypertension, type II diabetes mellitus (DMII), skin rash, infection, cardiomyopathy, fluid around the heart, mesothelioma, and PTSD. The AOJ is required to verify the Veteran's exposure to toxins, including asbestos, and herbicide agents during his active service.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for an infection, status post total right knee replacement is denied because he did not have a current disability characterized as an infection of the right knee during the claim period.
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