The claim for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 is denied because the Veteran was not rated totally disabled for a period of at least 10 years immediately preceding his death or for a period of not less than five years from the date of discharge. The claim for service connection for cause of death is remanded due to duty to assist error.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's cause of death was not related to any service-connected condition, and there were issues with the duty to assist in determining his exposure history.
- Claimed conditions
- Parkinson's disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 16, 2024
- Citation
- A24025819
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 A24025819.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the (o) rate and SMC at the (r)(2) rate, effective January 19, 2025. The decision finds that the Veteran's service-connected conditions warrant these awards due to his need for aid and attendance.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease, headaches, an acquired psychiatric disorder (other specified trauma and stressor related disorder and PTSD), and Parkinson's disease. The conditions are presumed to be due to exposure in service.,Service connection is established for all four claimed conditions.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including Parkinson's disease and related disabilities of the upper and lower extremities, have caused loss of use in both hands and need for aid and attendance due to his lower extremity disability, kidney disease, and neurogenic bladder. The Board has granted SMC based on these findings.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for special monthly compensation and service connection was denied due to a late filing of the Board Appeal request.
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