The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD did not substantially or materially contribute to his death, and that the causes of death were not present during service or until years after discharge from service. The Board concluded that the cause of death was intravenous drug abuse, which is not directly related to service.
The deciding factor: The VHA expert determined that the Veteran's PTSD did not substantially or materially contribute to his death and that any causal relationship between his service-connected PTSD and his death could not be established.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Subcutaneous abscesses of the right forearm, Pulmonary abscess, Acute heroin intoxication
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- October 15, 2014
- Citation
- 1445505
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 1445505.
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.
- 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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