The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of death and entitlement to DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318, finding that there was no competent or credible evidence linking his death to service.
The deciding factor: There is no competent or credible evidence linking the Veteran's death to service, including a psychiatric disorder for which service connection may be granted (primary service connection for alcohol abuse and personality disorders are prohibited by law and regulation).
- Claimed conditions
- Alcohol Abuse, Explosive Personality Disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 22, 2018
- Citation
- 1817982
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 1817982.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD with alcohol abuse was granted, and the Board determined that a 70 percent evaluation is warranted based on occupational and social impairment.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's PTSD, alcohol abuse, and sleep disturbances were reduced from a 70 percent rating to a 50 percent rating effective September 1, 2020. The Board found that the evidence did not show an improvement in his ability to function under ordinary conditions of life and work or in the overall frequency and severity of his symptomatology.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's PTSD symptoms, including suicidal ideation and depression, warrant a 100% disability rating effective August 12, 2020.
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