The Board found that the appellant's marriage to the Veteran did not satisfy the one-year marriage eligibility requirement for DIC benefits, and thus denied her claim.
The deciding factor: The appellant and the Veteran were not legally married under Indiana law, which does not recognize common-law marriages. The case was remanded multiple times but ultimately concluded that their relationship did not meet the statutory requirements for a surviving spouse's DIC benefit eligibility.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 19, 2010
- Citation
- 1043681
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 1043681.
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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- Denied
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- Denied
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- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
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