The Veteran's niece, who was named executor of her estate after the Veteran's death in October 2013, filed a claim for accrued benefits. The Board denied this claim as there were no extenuating circumstances to justify equitable tolling of the one-year filing deadline following the Veteran's death.
The deciding factor: The appellant did not demonstrate any extraordinary circumstances that prevented her from timely filing her claim for accrued benefits after the Veteran's death, despite delays in appointing her as executor of the estate and issues with locating the will.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 14, 2020
- Citation
- 20054167
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 20054167.
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).
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