The Board denied the claim for DIC based on service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death, finding that there was no evidence to support a causal relationship between his active duty service and his underlying causes of death.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner's opinion concluded that it was less likely than not that the Veteran's malignant brain tumor was caused by herbicide agent exposure, as there is no medical literature showing a causal relationship between herbicide exposure and brain cancer.
- Claimed conditions
- end stage brain tumor
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19147285
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
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.