The Veteran's cause of death was not service-connected due to lack of exposure to herbicides and the Veteran did not meet the criteria for dependency and indemnity compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not confirm direct exposure to an herbicide agent, and the Veteran's cause of death was not service-connected.
- Claimed conditions
- mantle cell lymphoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 20, 2020
- Citation
- 20035012
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20035012.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for mantle cell lymphoma is remanded due to the need for clarification of his condition status and severity.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
Your claim for service connection for mantle cell lymphoma has been granted, and the issue is no longer on appeal.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for mantle cell lymphoma has been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's cause of death, mantle cell lymphoma, was not determined to be service-connected as it did not arise from or is etiologically related to his military service.
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