The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for septic shock and ulcerative colitis as secondary to his service-connected PTSD or COPD, and also denied DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 due to various reasons including lack of entitlement to compensation at the 100% rate for a period of 10 years prior to death.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not establish that the Veteran's causes of death were caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities, and he was not entitled to DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 due to various reasons including lack of entitlement to compensation at the 100% rate for a period of 10 years prior to death.
- Claimed conditions
- septic shock, neuromuscular weakness, ulcerative colitis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 24, 2023
- Citation
- 23057718
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 23057718.
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 Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a colon condition, including as caused by herbicide agent exposure or secondary to his service-connected disabilities, was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection on any basis.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error and obtain a new medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service, his death, and any service-connected disabilities.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for persistent depressive disorder with anxious distress and service connection for ulcerative colitis are being remanded due to the failure to obtain relevant medical records.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU was denied as the new evidence submitted did not raise a reasonable possibility of establishing his entitlement to TDIU. The Board found that the VA treatment records generated in the year following the September 2017 rating decision were cumulative or redundant and did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim.
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