The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD contributed substantially or materially to his principal cause of death, cardiopulmonary arrest. As such, the claim for service connection for cause of death is granted.
The deciding factor: The independent medical opinion and June 2025 VA medical opinion are in approximate balance regarding whether the Veteran's PTSD contributed substantially or materially to his cause of death, cardiopulmonary arrest.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Lumbar Spinal Stenosis, Left Knee Joint Osteoarthritis, Right Knee Joint Osteoarthritis, Left Lower Extremity Radiculopathy, Right Lower Extremity Radiculopathy, Status Post Lumbar Laminectomy Scar
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 19, 2026
- Citation
- A26015319
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 A26015319.
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 Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to December 27, 2019 for the grant of service connection for PTSD was denied as there is no earlier claim document in the claims file and the Veteran did not timely perfect an appeal.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is granted as a result of military sexual trauma (MST) that occurred during service. The Board found the Veteran's testimony and supporting evidence credible, including her VA and private treatment records.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for TDIU is granted with an effective date of August 17, 2022. The decision also denies the Veteran's request for Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) due to lack of need for aid and attendance or being housebound.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy has been granted a 30 percent disability rating since November 29, 2021.
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