The Veteran's marriage to the appellant was not deemed valid for VA purposes due to his legal marriage to another party. The appellant's application for accrued benefits was also denied as it was filed more than one year after the Veteran's death.
The deciding factor: The appellant could not be recognized as the Veteran’s surviving spouse because of a legally terminated prior marriage and her attempted marriage did not meet the requirements for being deemed valid under VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19104550
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
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.