The Veteran's death was due to his own willful misconduct and not service-connected conditions. Therefore, DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 are denied.
The deciding factor: The cause of the Veteran's death (acute intoxication by the combined effects of cocaine and opiates) was found to be due to his own willful misconduct, not service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- sickle cell disease, secondary depression
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 22, 2015
- Citation
- 1545203
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 1545203.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's adult daughter, P. J., is diagnosed with sickle cell disease and may be receiving Social Security Disability benefits. The AOJ failed to obtain relevant SSA records for P. J. prior to the November 2023 rating decision, which requires remand.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for sickle cell disease, and the Board dismissed it.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for sickle cell disease, right eye glaucoma, right hip avascular necrosis, and renal disorder as secondary to sickle cell disease.,Service connection was not granted due to the Veteran's pre-existing condition of sickle cell disease.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for sickle cell disease, right eye glaucoma, right hip avascular necrosis, and renal disorder due to lack of evidence showing aggravation during service or any other basis.
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