The Veteran's cause of death is granted due to service-connected parotid gland cancer, which was presumed to be caused by Agent Orange exposure during his military service. DIC benefits are denied as the Veteran did not meet the criteria for entitlement under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's parotid gland cancer was attributable to his active service and contributed to his death, warranting service connection for the cause of death. However, DIC benefits were denied as he did not meet the criteria for entitlement under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.
- Claimed conditions
- parotid gland cancer, malignant melanoma of the head and neck
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- December 20, 2021
- Citation
- 21075524
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 21075524.
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 Veteran's parotid gland cancer is granted as service connected due to exposure to herbicide agent while serving in Vietnam.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's cause of death is remanded, and the Board requests additional evidence to determine if his salivary gland cancer was related to herbicide exposure or ionizing radiation. The claim will be reconsidered after this development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for tinnitus and parotid gland cancer due to herbicide exposure. The decision is based on insufficient information regarding the etiology of the Veteran's tinnitus, as well as a need for additional medical opinions regarding his parotid gland cancer.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for parotid gland cancer, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his active duty service and the condition. The Board also found insufficient evidence to establish a direct service connection due to lack of credible medical opinion.
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