The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for the cause of death and dependency and indemnity compensation due to new evidence received since the last denial. The Veteran's cause of death was attributed to complications from stage IV melanoma, which is presumed to have been caused by his in-service exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.
The deciding factor: New evidence has been submitted that relates to a previously unestablished element of the appellant’s claims regarding the cause of her husband's death and dependency and indemnity compensation.
- Claimed conditions
- cardio-respiratory failure, complications from stage IV melanoma
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 17, 2020
- Citation
- 20019783
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 20019783.
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
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 the need for a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's cause of death is related to service, including exposure to herbicide agents. The issue will be reconsidered after further development.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that liver cancer and lung cancer were not related to service. The Board also found that presumptive service connection for liver cancer due to herbicide exposure was not applicable.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's cause of death, cardio-respiratory failure and cerebrovascular accident-hemorrhage, were not caused by any incident of service. The claim for service connection was denied as there is no medical evidence showing a link between these conditions and his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for cause of death due to cardio-respiratory and cardiovascular failure, finding no evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's period of active duty or any presumptive exposure to ionizing radiation.
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