The Board determined that the appellant was not entitled to any of the proceeds of the veteran's NSLI policy, and that the appellee was entitled to the full amount of the proceeds.
The deciding factor: The veteran lacked testamentary capacity at the time he changed his beneficiary designation from the appellant to his former spouse (the appellee).
- Claimed conditions
- chronic bronchitis/asthma/COPD, neuropathy of the right upper extremity, neuropathy of the left upper extremity, degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine, optic nerve atrophy
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 13, 2005
- Citation
- 0524865
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 0524865.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's bilateral lower and upper extremity neuropathies, finding that they are related to his in-service herbicide exposure (Agent Orange).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases due to errors in obtaining private treatment records and issues related to TDIU determination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that VA examinations are required to determine if the Veteran's disabilities, including diabetes and neuropathy of various extremities, are at least as likely as not related to hazardous exposures during service. The issues of service connection for glaucoma secondary to diabetes are also remanded due to their inextricability with other claims.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for neuropathy of all four extremities due to a need for additional development, including verification of claimed nerve agent exposure and obtaining an updated medical opinion.
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.