The Veteran's cause of death was listed as renal failure, with cirrhosis contributing to it. The Board found that the renal failure was not service-connected and denied the claim for accrued benefits.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the terminal renal failure was due to the Veteran’s abuse of alcohol or drugs during his lifetime, rather than a condition incurred in service.
- Claimed conditions
- Renal Failure, Cirrhosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 25, 2011
- Citation
- 1131233
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 1131233.
What this means for you
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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 cirrhosis, hepatitis C, hepatocellular carcinoma, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gastritis, Barrett's esophagus, and obstructive sleep apnea but dismissed the claim for an acquired psychiatric disability.
- Partly granted
The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection for congestive heart failure and PTSD, granted a TDIU due to service-connected PTSD, and granted special monthly compensation based on housebound criteria.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding no evidence linking his death to his military service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 70 percent rating for PTSD prior to April 19, 2011, and a 100 percent rating for cirrhosis from October 17, 2007. The claims for increased ratings for PTSD after April 19, 2011, and hepatitis C were denied.
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