The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his diabetes mellitus and depression with anxiety, did not cause or contribute substantially to his death from alcoholic cirrhosis.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinions determined that the primary cause of the Veteran's death was alcoholic cirrhosis, which is unrelated to his service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Alcoholic cirrhosis, Diabetes mellitus (Type II)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 13, 2013
- Citation
- 1319265
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1319265.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death, finding that there was no evidence to support exposure to herbicide agents during service and thus denying service connection on a presumptive basis. The Board also found insufficient evidence to establish direct or secondary service connection for any conditions contributing to the Veteran's death.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there is no evidence to support a relationship between the Veteran's military service and his death.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the impact of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities on his ability to work. The claim is being referred for extraschedular consideration.
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