The Board denied the claim for an earlier effective date for the award of DIC, finding that there was no evidence of any earlier unadjudicated formal or informal claim.
The deciding factor: The June 1998 rating decision denying service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is final and not subject to revision on the same factual basis. The July 6, 2000 request to reopen was the first formal application after the initial denial in 1998.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 9, 2009
- Citation
- 0908675
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
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.