The Board denied the claim for survivors' pension benefits as the Veteran did not have active service during a period of war.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service did not meet the requirements to qualify for survivors' pension benefits due to lack of service in the Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam era.
- Claimed conditions
- sepsis, pneumonia, coronavirus (COVID-19) viral infection, congestive heart failure, hypertensive cardiovascular disease, acute on chronic kidney disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 4, 2024
- Citation
- A24063491
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a heart condition to obtain an addendum opinion from a VA clinician regarding whether the Veteran's current heart condition is related to service, including in-service treatment for hypertension.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for pneumonia and remanded the claims for iodine allergy, pilonidal cyst, sulfa allergy, heart disability, acquired psychiatric disorder, and lower and upper extremity disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to an inadequate VA medical opinion and a need for additional evidence.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.