The Veteran's cause of death was due to pancreatic adenocarcinoma, with diabetes as a significant contributing condition. The Appellant did not file a claim for DIC until April 2006, which is after the Veteran's death. Therefore, an earlier effective date cannot be granted.
The deciding factor: The Appellant failed to respond within one year of receiving notification from VA that she must file a claim for DIC benefits, and her initial response was not considered a valid claim as it did not include the necessary information or express intent to seek the benefit.
- Claimed conditions
- pancreatic adenocarcinoma, diabetes
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 15, 2016
- Citation
- 1636067
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 1636067.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
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- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluations and service connection were dismissed due to his death.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's pancreatic cancer, which should have been service-connected due to exposure to radiation during his military service, substantially contributed to his death. As a result, the claim for service connection for cause of death is granted.
- Denied
The Veteran's tinnitus and hearing loss claims are denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions.,The Veteran's high cholesterol, dementia, stroke, prostate cancer, cataracts, diabetes, hypertension, CHF, and myocardial infarction claims are denied due to lack of service connection evidence or insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the disabilities and active duty service.,The Veteran was exposed to toxins during his military service but there is no evidence linking these exposures to any of the claimed conditions.
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