The veteran's death was caused by his service-connected skin condition, which contributed to the development of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The Board finds that the evidence is about evenly balanced regarding this connection and grants both the cause-of-death claim and the DEA benefits.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions are divided on whether the service-connected skin condition caused or contributed to the veteran's CLL, but the Board finds the evidence for and against granting service connection for the cause of death is about evenly balanced (i.e., in relative equipoise).
- Claimed conditions
- Allergic dermatitis with probable granulomas, Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 18, 2006
- Citation
- 0639320
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 0639320.
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
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