The Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and the cause of death is not attributable to exposure to herbicides. The claim for service connection for cause of death is denied. The claim for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 is remanded due to potential inextricably intertwined issues with the DIC claim. The claim for service-connected burial benefits is also remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's malignant melanoma was not found to be related to his active service, including exposure to herbicides. The cause of death does not meet the criteria for service connection under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to lack of informed consent and unforeseeable events.
- Claimed conditions
- Malignant melanoma
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 9, 2019
- Citation
- 19153050
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 19153050.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
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