Veterans’ RightsAn independent resource for veterans
← All decisions
Whole decision: Denied

The Board found that the August 1998 rating decision denying service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death was not clearly and unmistakably erroneous. The effective date for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is determined based on when entitlement arose, which in this case would be the date of receipt of the claim or the date entitlement arose, whichever is later.

The deciding factor: The August 1998 rating decision denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to lack of evidence linking his death to service or a service-connected disability. The Board found no CUE in this decision as there was no error that had not been made and would have changed the outcome.

Claimed conditions
Acute Myocardial Infarction, Hypertensive Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating
Not verified here — check the original decision
Decision date
December 30, 2009
Citation
0948978

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 0948978.

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).

Related decisions

Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.

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.