The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability and denied his claim for service connection for the cause of his death.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence to support the appellant's contentions that the veteran died as a result of a service-connected disability, nor any evidence that a service- connected disability contributed substantially or materially to hasten the veteran's death.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic malignant melanoma, rheumatoid arthritis, duodenal ulcer, chronic obstructive lung disease, sacro-iliac weakness
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 17, 2000
- Citation
- 0021893
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 0021893.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for hypertension, atherosclerosis, and diabetes mellitus; granted service connection for erectile dysfunction and skin cancer; and restored the 10 percent rating for hypertension.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and systemic lupus erythematosus as there was no evidence of onset during active service or etiological relationship to an in-service injury, event, or disease.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for a VA examination and medical opinion regarding the Veteran's metastatic malignant melanoma to determine if it is related to service, including exposure to herbicide agents.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis was dismissed due to a untimely notice of disagreement. The left knee disorder claim is remanded for further action.
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