The Board denied the appellant's claim for VA non-service-connected burial benefits and plot or interment allowance, finding that the veteran did not meet the criteria due to his dishonorable discharge from service.
The deciding factor: The veteran was not in receipt of VA compensation at the time of death, nor had he a pending claim for such benefits. His body was not unclaimed by a state or political subdivision of a state.
- Claimed conditions
- hip and pelvis disabilities, coronary bypass surgery
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 17, 2002
- Citation
- 0204680
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 0204680.
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.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the claims for service connection for sleep apnea, myocardial infarction, and coronary bypass surgery as they were previously denied by a Board decision and the Veteran's attempt to appeal was invalid.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection have been referred to the RO. The SMC claim is remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with these pending claims.
- Granted
The Veteran's death extinguished his claim for automobile and adaptive equipment. The Board granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities, including ischemic heart disease and sarcoidosis.
- Granted
The Veteran's coronary bypass surgery resulted in a workload of greater than 3 METs but not greater than 5 METs, resulting in fatigue. This meets the criteria for a 60 percent disability rating from May 1, 2015 to December 17, 2019.
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