The Veteran's cause of death, terminal malignant neoplasm of the pancreas, was found to be caused by his service-connected Type II Diabetes Mellitus, which is presumptively associated with Agent Orange exposure. The Board granted DIC benefits for the Veteran's widow.
The deciding factor: The Board concluded that there was a reasonable doubt in favor of the claimant and that her husband’s diabetes mellitus contributed substantially or materially to his terminal pancreatic cancer, thus granting service connection for cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- Type II Diabetes Mellitus, Malignant neoplasm of the pancreas
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 14, 2019
- Citation
- 19185715
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,669 · Granted: 23% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19185715.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Type II Diabetes Mellitus, Bilateral Lower Extremity Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (Sciatic Nerve), Erectile Dysfunction, and Bladder Cancer in remission. Effective dates have been set for these awards as of July 14, 2004. The Veteran's claim for higher initial disability ratings and earlier effective dates are being remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and type II diabetes mellitus due to a need for additional medical opinions regarding obesity as an intermediate step in causing or aggravating these conditions, and because of potential toxic exposure during service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for Type II Diabetes Mellitus has been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal before the Board could make a decision.
- Granted
The Veteran was granted a TDIU with a September 19, 2024 effective date based on his PTSD, emphysema, and COPD symptoms. His diabetes, tinnitus, and left ear hearing loss were not found to prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to March 19, 2024.
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