The Board found that the appellant had a deemed valid marriage to the Veteran for VA purposes, and thus meets the criteria for recognition as his surviving spouse for VA death pension benefits.
The deciding factor: The appellant provided evidence showing she lived with the Veteran continuously from their marriage in May 2004 until his death in May 2004, without any separation due to the Veteran's misconduct. She also submitted a notarized statement indicating her intention to marry the Veteran and documents supporting her claim of continuous cohabitation.
- 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 6, 2015
- Citation
- 1547180
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 1547180.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
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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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