The Board has determined that the veteran's National Service Life Insurance policies had lapsed prior to his death, and thus denied the appellant's claim for insurance proceeds.
The deciding factor: VA law and regulation make clear that the date of death is the expiration of the 7-year period of the insured's absence. The veteran's presumed death was based solely on his unexplained absence of 7 or more years, and VA law states no State law providing for presumption of death will be applicable to claims for benefits under laws administered by the VA.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 23, 2003
- Citation
- 0336268
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 0336268.
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).
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