The Veteran's death was not caused by any fault or negligence on the part of VA, and there is no evidence of an event not reasonably foreseeable. Therefore, DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 is denied.
The deciding factor: There is no competent evidence showing that the Veteran’s death was caused by VA's carelessness, negligence, or fault.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic melanoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19181985
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to deficiencies in obtained contract medical opinions, particularly regarding potential links between the Veteran's service and his death from metastatic melanoma. The examiner is required to address submitted literature and consider contributory causes of death as listed on the death certificate.
- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was due to metastatic melanoma, which the Board found not related to his service-connected cold injury residuals. The claim for service connection for the cause of death is denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a failure to reschedule an examination, and a new one must be scheduled for the Veteran.
- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was not service-connected, and the claim for DIC benefits pursuant to 38 U.S.C. § 1318 is denied.
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