The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that a service-connected disability aided, hastened, or lent assistance to production of his death. The claim for DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 is dismissed as moot due to the grant of service connection.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's PTSD contributed substantially or materially to cause death by aiding, hastening, or lending assistance to production of his sepsis-related death.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Residuals of a right foot cold injury, Residuals of a left foot cold injury, Residuals of a right hand cold injury, Residuals of a left hand cold injury, Residuals of a right arm cold injury, Residuals of a left arm cold injury, Residuals of a right leg cold injury, Residuals of a left leg cold injury, Residuals of a nose and face cold injury, Residuals of a left leg gunshot wound, Residuals of a left arm gunshot wound, Residuals of a stomach gunshot wound
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- September 8, 2011
- Citation
- 1133170
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 1133170.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% disability rating. The Veteran also met the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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