The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his malignant melanoma was not related to service or Agent Orange exposure.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that there is no evidence linking the Veteran's malignant melanoma to service or Agent Orange exposure, and thus denying service connection on a presumptive basis.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic malignant melanoma
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 26, 2013
- Citation
- 1330968
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 1330968.
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 has determined that the Veteran's cause of death, metastatic malignant melanoma, was related to his exposure to herbicide agents in service, specifically Agent Orange. The claim is granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for a VA examination and medical opinion regarding the Veteran's metastatic malignant melanoma to determine if it is related to service, including exposure to herbicide agents.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA opinion regarding the cause of the Veteran's death, specifically his metastatic malignant melanoma. The appellant contends that this condition was caused by Agent Orange exposure during service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for metastatic malignant melanoma, finding that there was no evidence of a causal relationship between his in-service exposure to herbicide agents and his current condition. The earliest diagnosis of the cancer was decades after service.
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