The Board has determined that the Veteran's alcoholism, which was a cause of his death from liver failure and other conditions, was aggravated by his service-connected PTSD. Therefore, the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence supports the conclusion that the Veteran's alcohol use disorder was aggravated in severity by his service-connected PTSD, leading to a more severe condition than would have been present without the aggravation.
- Claimed conditions
- Alcoholic cirrhosis, Liver failure, Acute renal failure, Portal hypertension
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 13, 2010
- Citation
- 1017817
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 1017817.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an initial compensable rating for acute renal failure and remanded the claim for a chronic ingrown toenail evaluation.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding no evidence linking his death to his military service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his alcohol-related causes of death were etiologically linked to a service-connected disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's cause of death, considering service in Vietnam and potential Agent Orange exposure.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.