The Board denied the appellant's claim for an earlier effective date of January 27, 2015, for the award of DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to the prior final rating actions and the proper effective date being the date of the reopened claim.
The deciding factor: The appellant did not file a formal or informal claim for DIC benefits based on 38 U.S.C. § 1151 until January 27, 2015, which was after prior final rating decisions denying service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.
- Claimed conditions
- Congestive heart failure, End-stage renal failure
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 6, 2017
- Citation
- 1756201
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 1756201.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for heart condition was granted with an effective date of August 1, 2019. The decision is based on evidence showing exposure to diesel and gas fuel during service.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted SMC at the (r)(1) rate due to his service-connected major depressive disorder and congestive heart failure, which require regular aid and attendance.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's heart conditions may be related to his service-connected sleep apnea and/or generalized anxiety disorder, but further examination is needed to determine causation.
- Granted
The Veteran's coronary artery disease (CAD) is related to his service-connected hypertension, and the Board has granted service connection for CAD as secondary to hypertension.
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