The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and he did not have any pending claims for benefits at the time of his death. The appellant is not entitled to accrued benefits or death pension benefits due to her income exceeding the maximum allowed pension rate.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s cause of death (rectal adenocarcinoma) was not related to service, and there were no pending claims for benefits at the time of his death. The appellant's annual countable income exceeded the maximum allowed pension rate.
- Claimed conditions
- rectal adenocarcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 21, 2019
- Citation
- 19148699
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for erectile dysfunction as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD and denied an earlier effective date for sleep apnea. The claims for service connection for migraine headaches and rectal adenocarcinoma were remanded.
- Dismissed
The veteran's appeal for service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and rectal adenocarcinoma was dismissed due to a late filing of the Board Appeal request.
- Denied
The Board denied the appellant's claims to reopen service connection for the cause of death and dependency and indemnity compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318, as new and material evidence was not received.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
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