The Board has determined that the appellant is not entitled to recognition as the surviving spouse of the veteran, and thus cannot be recognized by VA for purposes of death benefits.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not establish a deemed valid marriage between the veteran and the appellant at the time of the veteran's death, due to separation caused by the veteran's misconduct with his previous wife.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 10, 2002
- Citation
- 0214068
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 0214068.
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
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.