The Board denied the appellant's claim for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation based on service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that metastatic melanoma was not due to disease or injury incurred in or aggravated by service.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of evidence did not support a finding that the veteran's metastatic melanoma was caused by his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Metastatic melanoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 1, 2007
- Citation
- 0703110
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0703110.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to obtain an adequate opinion regarding the cause of death and its relation to service, including in-service dental treatment. The Veteran died from acute renal failure, metastatic melanoma, cerebral metastasis, or seizure disorder.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and therefore DIC benefits are denied.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that ischemic heart disease and metastatic melanoma were related to his active duty service. The Board concluded that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents in-service, presumptively causing his ischemic heart disease, and also found a causal relationship between his sun exposure during service and his fatal melanoma.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of death and DIC benefits, finding that there was no evidence linking the Veteran’s death to his active service. The Board concluded that the cause of death (metastatic melanoma) was not related to any disability incurred or aggravated during service.
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