The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for his service-connected non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and mood disorder, finding that July 10, 2002 is the earliest effective date due to the presumptive nature of the service connection.
The deciding factor: The effective date was determined based on the presumption of exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and the diagnosis of a mood disorder secondary to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma being considered part of the original condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Mood disorder (secondary to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- April 27, 2007
- Citation
- 0712347
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 0712347.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma on a presumptive basis under the PACT Act, effective March 2, 2017.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for back pain and neck pain, finding no current disability. The claim for Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is remanded due to inadequate consideration of all potential exposures.,The claim for an acquired psychiatric disability (PTSD) is also remanded due to a lack of development of the Veteran's therapist's records.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for service connection of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, finding that the claim was filed within one year of separation from active duty and therefore the earliest possible effective date is October 15, 2020.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was granted with an effective date of March 13, 2024. This decision is based on the PACT Act becoming effective and the Veteran's symptoms being consistent with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma since April 14, 2022.
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