The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death in the line of duty, finding that his death was due to willful misconduct and not within the line of duty.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran’s death was caused by alcohol intoxication resulting from his own willful misconduct, which precludes him from receiving VA benefits for this cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- Alcohol Intoxication
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20070053
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
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.