Deceased Law and Legal Definition
According to 38 CFR 1.460 _Title 38 -Pensions, Bonuses, And Veterans' Relief; Chapter I - Department Of Veterans Affairs; Part 1 - General Provisions; Release Of Information From Department Of Veterans Affairs Records Relating To Drug Abuse, Alcoholism Or Alcohol Abuse, Infection With The Human Immunodeficiency Virus _HIV_, Or Sickle Cell Anemia_, the term “deceased” means “death established by either neurological criteria _brain death_ or cardiopulmonary criteria _cardiac death_. Brain death is the irreversible cessation of all brain function. Cardiac death is the irreversible cessation of circulatory and respiratory function. In both cases, “irreversible” means that function will not resume spontaneously and will not be restarted artificially.”
