The Veteran's DIC benefits were denied because he was not in receipt of a 100% disability rating for at least 10 years prior to his death. The appeal regarding service connection for cause of death is remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not have any disabilities rated as totally disabling for at least 10 years prior to his death, thus he was not eligible for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.
- Claimed conditions
- Multiple myeloma
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 24, 2020
- Citation
- 20006251
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of death, finding that the Veteran's service-connected multiple myeloma contributed substantially or materially to his death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of multiple myeloma to obtain additional evidence and an adequate medical opinion.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple myeloma, Parkinson's disease, diabetes mellitus type II (DMII), and kidney failure secondary to DMII based on in-service herbicide exposure.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple myeloma and the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that the evidence was in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's multiple myeloma was related to exposure to solvents during his period of active duty service.
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