The Veteran's death from a blunt force trauma of the head was not incurred in the line of duty due to his own willful misconduct, and thus service connection for the cause of death is denied.
The deciding factor: The VA determined that the Veteran’s death occurred while he was driving under the influence (BAC 0.24%), which constitutes willful misconduct, preventing him from being considered in the line of duty.
- Claimed conditions
- Blunt force trauma of the head
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 27, 2019
- Citation
- 19150346
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
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.