The Veteran's grandchildren, L.M. and A.M., do not meet the legal criteria to be considered dependents for purposes of additional DIC benefits due to lack of adoption or legitimate child status.
The deciding factor: The Veterans' benefits regulations specifically define who can be recognized as a dependent for payment of additional VA disability compensation, and these grandchildren do not fall within those categories.
- Claimed conditions
- pyelitis with coronary artery disease, recurrent low back pain, calcific nodes in left hilar region
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 31, 2017
- Citation
- 1710211
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 1710211.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) because the service-connected disabilities, either alone or in combination, did not render him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of VA treatment records from 1981, which are relevant to the Veteran's claim for service connection for recurrent low back pain.
- Dismissed
The Veteran requested to withdraw all pending appeals, including those for service connection for nightmares and increased rating for PTSD, as well as reopening of previously denied claims for hepatitis, skin rash, stress fracture residuals, fragment wounds, and recurrent back pain.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling a VA examination to address the Veteran's claims.
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