The Board has granted service connection for the cause of death due to the Veteran's service-connected mood disorder substantially contributing to his death. The Veteran died from an accidental drug overdose, with a combined disability rating of 60 percent at the time of his death.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's self-medication with alcohol, fentanyl, and morphine was a manifestation of his service-connected mood disorder, which substantially contributed to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Mood Disorder, Hepatitis C
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 16, 2024
- Citation
- A24084031
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 A24084031.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied a compensable initial rating for Hepatitis C, finding that the Veteran's condition was asymptomatic and did not meet the criteria for any higher rating.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and mood disorders, effective from February 7, 2012. The Veteran's claim was ongoing until the RO granted service connection for PTSD in July 2020.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's Hepatitis C with cirrhosis is related to service, and therefore grants service connection for these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that new and relevant evidence has been received in relation to the claim on appeal, warranting readjudication of the issue. The Veteran's ED is claimed as secondary to his service-connected mood disorder including side effects of medications taken for his mood disorder.
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