The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death due to insufficient evidence showing a direct link between his military service and any condition that contributed to his death.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinion concluded that the Veteran's personality disorder, which was diagnosed during service but not service-connected, did not contribute substantially or materially to his death by homicide.
- Claimed conditions
- Right inguinal hernia, Personality disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 9, 2020
- Citation
- 20039211
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 20039211.
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: Denied
The Board denied a compensable rating for the Veteran's right inguinal hernia repair due to lack of evidence of recurrent or disabling symptoms.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his right inguinal hernia, finding that it does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under either the old or new VA rating criteria.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, as there was no verifiable stressor and insufficient supporting evidence of claimed in-service trauma. The Veteran's current diagnoses were not found to be related to his military service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to provide a VA examination, which is necessary to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric condition.
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