The Veteran died of ischemic heart disease, which is a covered herbicide-related disease. The appellant filed for DIC benefits in March 2012 and the effective date was set at March 19, 2011 due to her timely submission of the claim. There is no earlier effective date as per VA regulations.
The deciding factor: The cause of death (ischemic heart disease) falls under a covered herbicide-related disease for which VA has established a presumption of service connection based on exposure to herbicides, and the appellant submitted her DIC claim within one year of the Veteran's death.
- Claimed conditions
- ischemic heart disease
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 23, 2019
- Citation
- 19131638
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
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