The Board denied service connection for malignant melanoma and the Veteran's cause of death, finding no medical evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.
The deciding factor: The March 2023 and November 2023 VA examiners found that the Veteran's malignant melanoma was not related to his service or exposure to herbicide agents. The Board also found no evidence linking the cause of death to service-connected disabilities or service itself.
- Claimed conditions
- malignant melanoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 19, 2024
- Citation
- 24002919
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for malignant melanoma to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error, specifically to obtain a medical opinion that considers all in-service toxic exposures.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for malignant melanoma, finding it to be at least as likely as not due to in-service exposure to herbicides.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his service-connected asbestos exposure causing pleural calcifications contributed to his death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for malignant melanoma to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors under the provisions of 38 C.F.R. § 20.802.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.