The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was caused by his exposure to benzene during service, and thus service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.
The deciding factor: An independent medical expert provided an opinion linking the Veteran's military service exposure to photographic glue containing benzene to his development of myelodysplasia (MDS) and acute non-lymphocytic leukemia (ANLL), which ultimately caused his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Acute myeloid leukemia, Myelodysplastic syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 8, 2009
- Citation
- 0913043
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 0913043.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's acute myeloid leukemia is granted as service-connected for the purposes of accrued benefits, and his cause of death due to this condition is also granted.
- Granted
The Veteran's acute myeloid leukemia is granted as a result of herbicide exposure during his service in Vietnam.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's case is being remanded due to a duty-to-assist error and the inextricability of his TDIU claim with his MDS residuals.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for ischemic heart disease and cause of death due to acute myeloid leukemia. The remand includes obtaining a determination on eligibility for substitution, conducting development regarding herbicide exposure, verifying participation in toxic exposure risk activities (TERAs), and obtaining medical opinions on the nature and etiology of the Veteran's acute myeloid leukemia.
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