The Veteran's pancreatic cancer and sarcoidosis are granted as service-connected due to exposure to burn pits during his service in the Southwest Asia Theater of Operations. The cause of death is also granted, with the pancreatic cancer being considered the immediate cause.
The deciding factor: Pancreatic cancer and sarcoidosis were found to be related to the Veteran's exposure to environmental hazards, specifically burn pits, during his service in the Gulf War theater. The Board resolved all doubts in favor of the Veteran, granting service connection for these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- pancreatic cancer, sarcoidosis
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- March 8, 2024
- Citation
- 24011198
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 24011198.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was not caused by a disability incurred or aggravated in service, and the Board denied the claim for service connection.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, finding that he does not require regular aid and assistance from another person as a result of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has dismissed the appeal for accrued benefits and has remanded the issue of service connection for cause of death, as there was a duty to assist error related to obtaining a medical nexus opinion regarding in-service herbicide agent exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for sarcoidosis, finding that the Veteran's sarcoidosis is not causally or etiologically related to his military service and did not manifest within one year of separation from service.
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