The Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and the causes of his death were determined to be chronic respiratory failure due to COPD, shoulder muscle injury, chest muscle impairment, and PTSD.
The deciding factor: Chronic respiratory failure resulting from COPD was identified as the immediate cause of death. The Veteran's service-connected conditions did not contribute substantially or materially to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral hearing loss, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Shell fragment wound to the right shoulder (muscle group III), Shell fragment would to the left pleural with retained foreign body (muscle group IV)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 22, 2016
- Citation
- 1633157
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 1633157.
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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