The Board has determined that a medical opinion is needed to determine if the Veteran's service-connected PTSD with polysubstance abuse (including alcohol) caused or aggravated his liver disease, which contributed to his death.
The deciding factor: The Board found insufficient evidence to establish whether the Veteran’s service-connected PTSD and substance abuse caused or aggravated his cirrhosis of the liver, leading to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- decompensated cirrhosis of the liver, steatosis
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 31, 2020
- Citation
- 20081883
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,699 · Granted: 17% (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 20081883.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and denied service connection for hypertension, coronary artery disease (CAD), diabetes mellitus, type I and II, right foot osteoarthritis, headaches, steatosis, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to gastrointestinal bleeding, decompensated cirrhosis of the liver, and aspiration pneumonia. The evidence did not support a causal relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's active duty service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for erectile dysfunction as secondary to diabetes mellitus type 2, and granted initial ratings of 20 percent for diabetic polyneuropathy of the left lower extremity and right lower extremity.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran seeks service connection for a liver disorder, which he claims is related to his active duty service and prescribed medications. The Board has determined that additional development is needed before the case can be fully adjudicated.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
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.