The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by or a result of service-connected conditions, and denied the claim for service connection for the cause of his death.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not support a finding that diabetes or heart disease contributed to the Veteran's death. The Board concluded that pancreatic cancer was the primary cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer, Diabetes Mellitus (Type II)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 24, 2016
- Citation
- 1621001
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1621001.
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: Partly granted
The Veteran's acne was granted a 10 percent rating for the period prior to March 26, 2021, and denied a compensable rating thereafter. Service connection was granted for diabetes mellitus and pancreatitis as secondary conditions.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and a low back disorder due to the lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or exposure to herbicides. Service connection was granted for the low back disorder.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied compensation for the cause of death under 38 U.S.C. § 1151, finding that VA treatment did not cause or contribute to the Veteran’s disability and/or cause of death.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for Diabetes Mellitus (Type II) and left eye blindness due to potential direct service connection based on exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The Veteran's medical conditions are not entitled to presumptive service connection, but may be related to his service.
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