The Board denied the appellant's claim for recognition as the Veteran's surviving spouse for VA death benefits purposes due to her failure to cohabitate with the Veteran and because their separation was not solely due to the fault of the Veteran without fault by the appellant. The Veteran's subsequent marriage to another person is deemed valid for VA purposes.
The deciding factor: The appellant did not meet the requirement of continuous cohabitation with the Veteran prior to his death, and the separation from the Veteran was not solely due to the fault of the Veteran without fault by the appellant.
- 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
- February 24, 2015
- Citation
- 1508014
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 1508014.
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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