The Veteran's death was caused by metastatic melanoma, which is presumed to have developed due to prolonged exposure to sunlight during his Navy service.,Service connection for COPD has been denied as the disorder did not develop in-service and there is no evidence of a nexus between the disorder and service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's metastatic melanoma was presumed to have developed due to prolonged exposure to sunlight during his Navy service, which is considered presumptive under VA law.
- Claimed conditions
- Metastatic Melanoma, Respiratory Disorder (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease - COPD)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 13, 2012
- Citation
- 1220578
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1220578.
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: Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD contributed to his death from metastatic melanoma, despite other contributing factors such as respiratory compromise and cardiovascular arrest.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has determined that the cause of death was metastatic melanoma, which is presumed to be related to service exposure to herbicides. The appellant's arguments and medical evidence support this determination.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was not related to his service-connected anxiety disorder, and the Board found that it did not contribute substantially or materially to his death. The issue of an increased rating for an anxiety reaction is pending.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board found that the Veteran did not have metastatic melanoma due to service or exposure to ionizing radiation. The claim for cause of death was denied as there is no evidence linking the Veteran's death to his military service.
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