The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his diabetes mellitus, a contributing cause to his death, is presumed related to his exposure to toxic herbicides while stationed in the Republic of Vietnam. The claim was reopened due to new evidence submitted since the last final denial.
The deciding factor: The amended death certificate established a new cause of death (diabetes mellitus) that is presumed related to service-connected exposure to toxic herbicides, leading to service connection for the cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- Pancreatic cancer, Diabetes mellitus, type 2
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 16, 2012
- Citation
- 1239225
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 1239225.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's death from pancreatic cancer may be service-connected due to environmental exposures in service, and thus remands for a medical opinion on this issue. The DIC benefits claim is also remanded.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to pancreatic cancer, finding that it was caused by herbicide agent exposure and the service-connected diabetes mellitus. The decision resolves reasonable doubt in favor of the appellant.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for asthma was denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type 2 is being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted effective dates for awards of SMC at various rates, with the earliest being December 13, 2023. The SMC is awarded based on his service-connected conditions and their impact on his daily life.
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