The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that none of his service-connected conditions were a disease, injury, or complication that directly caused his death.
The deciding factor: The service-connected disabilities did not contribute substantially to the Veteran's death as they affected non-vital organs and were static in nature.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Major Depressive Disorder, Healed shrapnel wound scar in his left arm, Inner border right eye, retained foreign body, Bilateral hearing loss, Small scar left eyebrow
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 3, 2024
- Citation
- A24080048
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 A24080048.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's major depressive disorder is found to be caused by his service-connected low back and radiculopathy disabilities, which prevent him from doing enjoyable activities and daily living tasks.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for PTSD and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a new VA examination.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's erectile dysfunction is secondary to his service-connected major depressive disorder, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
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