The Board denied the appellant's claim for recognition as a helpless child of her father due to insufficient evidence showing she was permanently incapable of self-support prior to age 18, despite having significant employment and educational history.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not support the appellant's contention that she was permanently incapable of self-support by reason of mental or physical defect at the time of her 18th birthday.
- Claimed conditions
- permanent incapacity, Spina Bifida
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 6, 2019
- Citation
- 19116452
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,642 · Granted: 19% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19116452.
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 claim as there is no evidence of spina bifida in the appellant's medical records, and her symptoms are better explained by other conditions.
- Granted
The Board granted the appellant's appeal to restore benefits for spina bifida, finding that the AOJ did not meet its burden of proof in severing the benefits.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and evidence of the appellant's incapacity to self-support prior to age 18.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran was born with spina bifida or spina bifida occulta, and if so, whether he has residuals from either condition.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
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.