The Board of Veterans’ Appeals: A Second Look

The Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA) is like a special court within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). If a veteran disagrees with a decision made by the VA about their benefits, they can appeal that decision to the BVA.

The BVA carefully reviews the veteran’s case and all the related documents. They look at the evidence and decide whether the VA’s original decision was correct. The BVA can make three main types of decisions:  

• Grant: This means the BVA agrees with the veteran and grants them the benefits they were asking for.
• Deny: This means the BVA disagrees with the veteran and denies their claim for benefits.
• Remand: This is a little different. A “remand” means the BVA sends the case back to the original VA office for further review. This might happen if the BVA needs more information, if new evidence has come to light, or if there was a mistake in the original decision.

If a veteran is still not satisfied with the BVA’s decision, they can further appeal the case to the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC). The CAVC is a special federal court that reviews decisions made by the BVA.

Disclaimer: This information is for general knowledge and does not constitute financial or legal advice.