The Board found that the evidence did not support a connection between the veteran's death and his military service, nor was there sufficient evidence to establish eligibility for nonservice-connected death pension benefits.
The deciding factor: There is no competent medical evidence showing that the cause of death (portal cirrhosis) was related to the appellant's husband's active service. Additionally, the decedent did not have the requisite service to qualify for VA nonservice-connected death pension benefits.
- Claimed conditions
- portal cirrhosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 21, 2008
- Citation
- 0813082
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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