The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was caused by his service-connected disabilities, specifically degenerative joint disease of the cervical and lumbar spine, which contributed to his suicide. The Board finds in favor of granting service connection for cause of death.
The deciding factor: The October 2012 VHA opinion concluded that the Veteran's suicide was more likely than not related to his service-connected disabilities of degenerative joint disease of the cervical and lumbar spine, which significantly contributed to his psychiatric disorder resulting from severe pain.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine, degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- February 14, 2013
- Citation
- 1305460
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 1305460.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development of records and will provide a supplemental statement of the case if necessary.
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