The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, entitlement to DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318, and entitlement to Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance under 38 U.S.C.A. Chapter 35.
The deciding factor: The Board found that service connection for the cause of the veteran's death was not warranted due to conflicting medical opinions regarding the conditions contributing to his death. The veteran's prostate cancer, which was secondary to Agent Orange exposure, did not contribute substantially or materially to cause his death. The Board also determined that the veteran was not entitled to DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 as he was not in receipt of a total disability rating for at least 10 years immediately preceding his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Prostate cancer, Transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 29, 2000
- Citation
- 0030964
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 0030964.
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.
- Granted
The Board restored the Veteran's 100 percent disability rating for his service-connected prostate cancer, effective September 1, 2024.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a higher disability rating for PTSD and granted service connection for lumbosacral strain, while denying service connection for prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, and nuclear sclerosis and dry eye syndrome.
- Dismissed
The appeals for service connection and higher initial rating were dismissed due to concurrent election of review options.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a retrospective VA medical opinion to determine if the Veteran's Parkinson disease, prostate cancer, or OSA are related to his service.
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