The Veteran's DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 are denied as he did not meet the statutory duration requirements for a total disability rating at the time of his death.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of death under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 is remanded to allow for further investigation and an addendum opinion.
The deciding factor: The Veteran was not rated by VA as being totally disabled due to service-connected conditions for a continuous period of at least 10 years immediately preceding death, nor did he have a total evaluation continuously in effect since the date of his discharge from service and for at least five years immediately preceding his death. The claim is denied under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.
- Claimed conditions
- Right middle finger limitation of motion with slight deformity of distal phalanx
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 15, 2022
- Citation
- 22034904
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 22034904.
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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