The Veteran died from hepatic failure and bilateral pneumonia, with liver cirrhosis as a contributing factor. The VA medical opinions determined that the Veteran's psychiatric disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor did it have its onset within one year of discharge. The cause of his hepatitis C and liver cirrhosis is believed to be drug abuse and exposure to contaminated needles post-service.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of evidence shows that a service-connected disability did not cause the Veteran's death or contribute substantially or materially to it.
- Claimed conditions
- hepatic failure, bilateral pneumonia, liver cirrhosis
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 6, 2014
- Citation
- 1409573
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 1409573.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was not caused by a disability incurred or aggravated in service, and the Board denied the claim for service connection.
- Granted
The Veteran's cause of death was determined to be related to service-connected conditions, specifically metastatic colon cancer and coronary artery disease. The Board granted the claim for service connection based on the evidence provided.
- Granted
The Veteran's cause of death was respiratory failure caused by hepatic failure, hepatocellular cancer, and chronic hepatitis C infection.,Service connection for the cause of death is granted as his alcohol and substance abuse were secondary to his service-connected PTSD.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for back disability, gastrointestinal condition, gynecomastia, kidney lesion, and liver cirrhosis due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The case is remanded for further development.
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