The Veteran's death was not due to CLL, but rather sepsis. The Veteran had service-connected Waldenstrom's macroglobulemia (WM) as secondary to Agent Orange exposure and this condition is considered a presumptive disability under the Agent Orange Act. However, his claim for accrued benefits based on retroactive entitlement to service connection for CLL was denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not have CLL at the time of his death; he had been diagnosed with Waldenstrom's macroglobulemia (WM) which is considered a presumptive disability under Agent Orange exposure. The claim for accrued benefits based on retroactive entitlement to service connection for CLL was denied.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), Waldenstrom's macroglobulemia (WM)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 24, 2010
- Citation
- 1011081
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 1011081.
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 an earlier effective date of April 5, 2011, for the grant of service connection for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and an initial rating of 100 percent from that date to April 26, 2013.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) based on the Veteran's participation in toxic exposure risk activities during service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for chronic lymphocytic leukemia to correct duty to assist errors that occurred prior to the August 2024 rating decision.
- Granted
The Board grants the Veteran's claim for permanent and total status for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), currently rated as 100 percent disabling, based on evidence showing that the condition is reasonably certain to continue at its current level of impairment throughout his life.
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