The Board denied the appellant's claim for recognition as the Veteran's surviving spouse for VA death benefits purposes due to a lack of continuous cohabitation with the Veteran prior to his death, despite her initial acknowledgment that they had separated. The Board found the appellant's current statements inconsistent and contradictory.
The deciding factor: The appellant's consistent statements regarding separation from the Veteran were not credible, while the depositions provided by community members indicated the appellant was the one who left the Veteran.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 12, 2023
- Citation
- 23050504
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 23050504.
What this means for you
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- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
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