The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the appellant's claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death. The Veteran was exposed to herbicides during his military service, which is presumed under VA regulations. However, the cancer found in the Veteran's nasopharynx with metastasis was not shown to be related to his time in Vietnam or any other service-connected condition.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the evidence received since the July 2005 rating decision raised a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim for service connection due to presumed exposure to herbicides during service, but did not establish a direct link between the Veteran's death and his time in Vietnam or any other service-connected condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Adenocystic carcinoma of the nasopharynx with pulmonary metastasis
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 24, 2014
- Citation
- 1412264
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 1412264.
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.
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The Board of Veterans' Appeals has granted service connection for PTSD and Mood Disorders, both presumed conditions under the PACT Act.
- Dismissed
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- Granted
Service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is granted. The appeal as to the issue of entitlement to service connection for erectile dysfunction is dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
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