The Veteran died in May 1995 and the appellant filed for DIC benefits within a year of his death. The RO denied her claim, but did not issue an SOC. The appellant filed NODs and the case remained pending until April 2017 when it was granted with an effective date of May 1, 1995.
The deciding factor: The RO's failure to issue a Statement of the Case prevented the September 1995 decision from becoming final, keeping the appellant’s claim pending. The Veteran died within one year of his death, so the effective date is set as the first day of the month he died (May 1, 1995).
- Claimed conditions
- Cause of death not related to service
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- August 30, 2018
- Citation
- 18130904
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 18130904.
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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- Granted
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