The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD with alcohol abuse caused his colon cancer, which was a contributory cause of death. Therefore, service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.
The deciding factor: Service connection for the cause of death can be established if it shown that the veteran's disability which is the primary or contributory cause of death, is proximately due to or the result of a service-connected condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Cardiopulmonary Arrest
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 25, 2018
- Citation
- 1805169
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1805169.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for survivor's pension, accrued benefits, and dependency and indemnity compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 due to the appellant's countable income exceeding the applicable maximum annual pension rates and the Veteran not having any unpaid VA benefits or claims pending at the time of his death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's in-service hypercholesteremia is causally related to his cardiopulmonary arrest and subsequent death. The VA will seek a medical opinion on this issue.
- Granted
The Veteran's cause of death was determined to be related to his service-connected PTSD, which contributed to the sepsis caused by untreated dental issues. The Board granted service connection for the cause of death and denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.
- Denied
The Veteran's death was due to cardiopulmonary arrest secondary to liver metastasis from gastroesophageal junction cancer, which is not service-connected as the condition did not manifest during or within one year of his active duty. The Board denied presumptive service connection for ischemic heart disease and spontaneous pneumothorax.
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