The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and thus DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 is denied. The cause of death claim is remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not establish that any service-connected condition contributed substantially or materially to the Veteran's death.
- Claimed conditions
- schizoaffective disorder, depressed type, post status repair of medial meniscus, right knee with scar, degenerative arthritis left knee, status post fifth metacarpal of the left hand
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 22, 2024
- Citation
- A24049337
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 A24049337.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right knee, left knee, and cervical spine with spinal stenosis and spondylolisthesis were dismissed due to a procedural defect in the filing of the VA Form 10182 Notice of Disagreement.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal for disability ratings in excess of 10 percent for right ankle arthritis, left ankle arthritis, and degenerative arthritis of the left knee.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance or by reason of being housebound, as his service-connected disabilities did not render him permanently bedridden or unable to care for his daily needs without requiring the regular aid and attendance of another person.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically schizoaffective disorder, depressed type, is now rated at 70 percent from March 26, 2009 to February 10, 2011. The effective date for this rating is set as of March 26, 2009.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.