The Board found that the preponderance of the evidence was against service connection for the veteran's cause of death, as Burkitt's lymphoma did not have its onset during service and was not otherwise related to any incident of service.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinion indicated it was less likely than not that the veteran's Burkitt's lymphoma was caused by or a result of his time in service. There was no evidence indicating he served in an area where Burkitt's lymphoma was endemic, namely Africa.
- Claimed conditions
- Burkitt's lymphoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 2, 2009
- Citation
- 0903597
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
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