The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death, finding that the claim was not filed within a year of the Veteran's death and that the Appellant did not file any valid claims before March 17, 2015. The effective date is set at March 17, 2015.

The deciding factor: The Board found no valid claim or intent to file a claim submitted before March 17, 2015, and the grant of benefits was based on the March 17, 2015, claim. The effective date cannot date back to the Veteran’s date of death as requested by the Appellant.

Claimed conditions

end stage esophageal cancer, respiratory lung cancer

How they argued it

Direct service connection

Exposure basis

None

Rating assigned

None in this decision

Decision date

January 23, 2020

Citation

20004990