The Board has determined that new and material evidence to reopen the claim for basic eligibility for death benefits has not been submitted, as the appellant's claims are based on a character of discharge under other than honorable conditions which is a bar to VA benefits.
The deciding factor: The evidence received since the last final denial consists of lay statements asserting that the service member had health problems and emotional issues. The appellant's more recent statements and the lay statements from her family are essentially duplicative of previous assertions made in the past, thus not relating to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 18, 2011
- Citation
- 1142635
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1142635.
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).
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