The Veteran's cause of death was not service-connected, and he did not meet the criteria for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran’s service-connected conditions did not contribute to his death, and he did not have a qualifying period of total disability due to service-connected disabilities for at least ten years immediately preceding his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Hemorrhoids, Head and Neck Cancer, Ischemic Heart Disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19146859
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,350 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19146859.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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Service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is granted. The appeal as to the issue of entitlement to service connection for erectile dysfunction is dismissed.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an increased evaluation of his hemorrhoids, so the case is dismissed.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD with alcohol use disorder was denied, and he was granted a TDIU. The Board found that the symptoms did not meet criteria for a 100% disability rating.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder with Insomnia Disorder, was granted. The effective date is set at October 25, 2022.
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