The Veteran's death was not service-connected, and he did not meet the criteria for burial or plot allowance as his death occurred at home without VA involvement.
The deciding factor: The Veteran died from Alzheimer's Disease which is not service-connected. The Appellant failed to meet the legal requirements for non-service connected burial benefits due to lack of eligibility.
- Claimed conditions
- Alzheimer's Disease
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20042423
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20042423.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's adult son, the Appellant, is granted accrued benefits due and unpaid at the time of his father's death. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the expenses borne by the Appellant were a result of the Veteran's last sickness and burial.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Alzheimer's Disease and the cause of death, finding that both were related to the Veteran's in-service exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The decision is based on evidence showing a relationship between such exposure and the development of Alzheimer's Disease.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date prior to January 23, 2023, for his PTSD rating is denied. The Board finds that the Veteran did not file a VA Form 9 in response to the May 2020 Statement of the Case and therefore, the May 2020 decision is final. As such, an earlier effective date cannot be granted.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, memory loss, and anxiety as secondary to in-service herbicide exposure due to a lack of an etiological opinion on these issues.
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