Legal Definitions - United States Court of Veterans Appeals

The United States Court of Veterans Appeals is the former name for what is now known as the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC).

This court is a national court of record, established under Article I of the U.S. Constitution, that has exclusive jurisdiction to review decisions of the Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA). The BVA is an administrative body within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that makes final decisions on appeals regarding veterans' benefits. If a veteran or their survivor is dissatisfied with a BVA decision, they can appeal to the CAVC.

Here are some examples of situations where the United States Court of Veterans Appeals (now CAVC) would apply:

• Example 1: Disability Benefits Appeal

  A veteran, honorably discharged after serving in a combat zone, applies for disability benefits for a service-connected knee injury. After years of medical treatment and multiple appeals within the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Board of Veterans' Appeals ultimately denies their claim, stating there isn't sufficient evidence to link the injury directly to their military service. Feeling that the BVA misinterpreted the medical evidence or applied the law incorrectly, the veteran decides to appeal this final administrative decision to the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.

  This example illustrates the court's role in reviewing BVA decisions when a veteran believes their claim for disability compensation has been unfairly denied or mishandled.

• Example 2: Educational Benefits Dispute

  A veteran enrolls in a vocational training program using their GI Bill educational benefits. Midway through the program, the VA determines that the program no longer meets their eligibility criteria and retroactively revokes a portion of the benefits, demanding repayment. The veteran appeals this decision through the VA's administrative process, arguing that they were properly enrolled and the program was approved at the time. When the Board of Veterans' Appeals upholds the VA's decision to revoke benefits, the veteran seeks review from the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.

  This demonstrates the court's jurisdiction over disputes concerning various types of veterans' benefits, not just disability, including educational assistance.

• Example 3: Survivor Benefits Claim

  The surviving spouse of a deceased veteran applies for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits, believing their spouse's death was due to a service-connected condition. The VA initially denies the claim, and after several levels of administrative review, the Board of Veterans' Appeals affirms the denial, concluding that the cause of death was not related to military service. The surviving spouse, believing the BVA overlooked critical medical evidence linking the veteran's service to their eventual passing, decides to challenge this decision before the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.

  This example shows that the court's jurisdiction extends to appeals made by a veteran's survivors regarding benefits they are entitled to.