The Board has determined that the appellant's husband did not have a period of active duty or service connection for any disability. Therefore, his death was not caused by a condition incurred in or aggravated during service. The claim for service connection for cause of death is denied. Additionally, as he did not qualify as a 'veteran' under VA compensation laws, the appellant is not eligible for death pension benefits. Finally, there are no accrued benefits due to him.
The deciding factor: The decedent's only period of service was ACDUTRA and his death certificate indicates that he died from metastatic malignant melanoma. Since service connection was not established for any disability during this period or at any other time, the claim is denied as there is no evidence to support a finding that the cause of death was incurred in or aggravated by service.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic malignant melanoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 12, 2017
- Citation
- 1745357
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 1745357.
What this means for you
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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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