The Veteran died due to a house fire, and the appellant was convicted of murder. As the appellant is incarcerated, she cannot receive VA benefits.
The deciding factor: The appellant's conviction for felony murder prevents her from receiving VA benefits as the surviving spouse.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical myelopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 17, 2020
- Citation
- 20054323
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 20054323.
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: Denied
The Veteran's initial rating for cervical myelopathy, status post discectomy and fusion, is denied as it did not meet the criteria for an increased rating. The Veteran's surgical scars of the neck are also denied as they do not warrant a compensable rating.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for compensation benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to a lack of evidence showing that his current disability was caused by VA carelessness, negligence, or similar fault.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran seeks service connection for a spine disorder, which he asserts was caused by an in-service fall and heavy lifting. The case is being remanded to attempt to locate the Veteran's service treatment records at a Philadelphia warehouse and obtain his unit history records from the First Battalion Ninth Marines, First Marine Division.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for cervical myelopathy and degenerative joint disease with spinal stenosis, assigning a disability rating of 20 percent effective from the date of the decision.
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