The Board denied the appellant's claim for an earlier effective date for additional death pension benefits based on a need for aid and attendance, as the evidence did not show that she was in need of regular aid and attendance prior to July 22, 2002.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on the fact that the appellant could perform most daily living activities without assistance before suffering a heart attack on July 22, 2002.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), hypertension, coronary artery disease (CAD), peripheral vascular disease (PVD), history of Kawasaki's disease, depression
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 17, 2009
- Citation
- 0909912
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.
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