The Board has determined that the Appellant is not recognized as the Veteran's surviving spouse, and this decision is remanded to ensure proper procedural steps are taken for a contested claim involving D.H., who was previously recognized as the Veteran's surviving spouse.
The deciding factor: The determination of whether the Appellant can be recognized as the Veteran’s surviving spouse could affect D.H.’s recognition as the Veteran’s surviving spouse and any resulting benefits, necessitating proper procedural steps in this contested claim.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 12, 2019
- Citation
- 19193421
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 19193421.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.