The Veteran's death was caused by his service-connected PTSD, which aggravated his alcohol abuse and liver disease. The Board finds that the criteria for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death are met.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected PTSD aggravated his alcohol abuse, leading to liver cirrhosis and cardiac arrest, contributing substantially to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Alcohol abuse, Cirrhosis of the liver, Cardiac arrest
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 1, 2018
- Citation
- 1806429
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 1806429.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including an acquired psychiatric disability, alcohol abuse, a liver disability, and hand and eye disabilities, as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to service or secondary to any service-connected condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection due to a need for additional evidence, specifically the Veteran's complete service treatment records and service personnel records.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a liver disorder, to include liver cancer as secondary to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, and other than cirrhosis of the liver and hepatitis C.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, GERD, and OSA due to a need for additional evidence.
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