The Veteran's cause of death was determined to be due to his service-connected chronic adjustment disorder with depressed mood, which the Board found contributed substantially and materially to his death. The claim for DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 is dismissed as moot because the appellant has prevailed on her claim for service connection for cause of death. The accrued benefits claim is also granted.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's chronic adjustment disorder with depressed mood, a service-connected condition, contributed substantially and materially to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic adjustment disorder with depressed mood, cervical strain, headaches, hemorrhoids, anal fissure
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 23, 2017
- Citation
- 1717797
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 1717797.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development of records and will provide a supplemental statement of the case if necessary.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches was reopened due to new and material evidence, and the Board found that his current headaches are related to service. Service connection is granted.
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