The Veteran's service-connected chronic schizophrenia is found to have caused or contributed to his death due to a stroke.,SMC benefits for the Veteran based on aid and attendance or housebound status are denied.
The deciding factor: Medical opinions indicate that the Veteran’s service-connected schizophrenia may have caused high blood pressure, which in turn led to an ischemic stroke resulting in his death. The opinions also suggest a possible link between schizophrenia and TBI, though this is not definitively established.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic schizophrenia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- December 17, 2018
- Citation
- 18158737
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 18158737.
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 the Veteran's claim of service connection for chronic schizophrenia, finding no clear and unmistakable error in the June 1982 rating decision that denied his claim based on a presumption of soundness.
- Granted
The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including schizophrenia and PTSD, due to military sexual trauma (MST), is granted. The Board finds new and material evidence has been received since the June 2011 rating decision denying entitlement to service connection for PTSD. Service connection will be remanded for further examination and medical opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of a VA examination and insufficient medical evidence on file for the merits of the claim. The Veteran's psychiatric disorders have been diagnosed, but there is no opinion linking these conditions to his service.
- Granted
The Veteran's chronic schizophrenia resulted in total occupational and social impairment since March 4, 1999. The Board granted a 100% rating for the condition prior to February 28, 2011.
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