The Board denied the appellant's request for an effective date prior to July 18, 1995 for her award of DIC benefits. The claim was filed in January 1987 and did not include a service connection claim.
The deciding factor: The appellant did not raise a claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death until July 18, 1995, which is when her award of DIC benefits became effective.
- Claimed conditions
- cause of death
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 9, 2003
- Citation
- 0323159
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0323159.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal because the Appellant did not specify which specific decision or issue she disagreed with, specifically regarding her claim for service connection related to Camp Lejeune exposure.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board has already granted service connection for the cause of death in a previous decision, and no new issues are pending. The current appeal is dismissed.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for the Veteran's cause of death is dismissed due to concurrent election.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted an earlier effective date of July 1, 2014 for dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) based on the appellant's claim received within one year following the Veteran's death.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.