The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, as there was no evidence linking his leukemia to his military service or any herbicide exposure.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence of sepsis, acute lymphocytic leukemia, or septic shock during the Veteran's military service or many years thereafter, and no relationship between these causes of death and his military service, including herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- Acute lymphocytic leukemia, Sepsis, Septic shock
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 20, 2009
- Citation
- 0910462
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 claims for service connection for the Veteran's cause of death and entitlement to Dependency and Indemnity Compensation under 38 USC § 1151 due to inadequate medical opinions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of the Veteran's cause of death, to include sepsis, MSSA bacteremia, and immunosuppression, due to in-service exposure to Agent Orange.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, agreeing that his military service was a contributing factor in his death.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not contribute to or cause his death.
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.