The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by a disability incurred in or aggravated by his active-duty service, including exposure to herbicides and sun exposure. The cause of death listed on the death certificate was respiratory arrest due to acute on chronic renal failure due to malignant ascites due to malignant melanoma.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that none of the veteran's conditions were manifested during service or for many years after service, and there was no evidence linking his malignant melanoma to exposure to herbicides or sun exposure. The death certificate listed respiratory arrest as the immediate cause of death, but it did not indicate any service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- respiratory arrest, chronic renal failure, malignant ascites, malignant melanoma, central nervous system metastases
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 21, 2008
- Citation
- 0836121
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 0836121.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for malignant melanoma, finding that there was no evidence linking the condition to his active duty service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for her scars has been withdrawn, resulting in the dismissal of this claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the VA did not obtain all necessary service treatment records and failed to provide a VA medical opinion addressing the cause of death. The claim is being remanded for these actions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for malignant melanoma and lung cancer due to a failure to fully develop the record regarding toxic risk exposure activities. The Veteran's service records indicate he was exposed to herbicides during his military service, but further development is needed to include non-herbicide exposures.
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