The Board found no evidence linking the cause of death (acute leukemia and myelodysplasia) to service-connected conditions, thus denying the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.
The deciding factor: There was conflicting medical evidence regarding whether retained shrapnel from service-connected wounds caused or contributed to the Veteran's final illnesses. The VA physician found no substantiating evidence linking these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Acute leukemia, Myelodysplasia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 10, 2011
- Citation
- 1129575
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 1129575.
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 has decided to remand the case due to a lack of VA examination and medical nexus opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service and his death, specifically acute leukemia. The claim will be reviewed with an appropriate VA examiner.
- Granted
The Veteran's cause of death, acute leukemia, is granted as service-connected due to the approximate balance of positive and negative evidence regarding the merits of the issue. The Board concludes that there is no known nexus between Agent Orange exposure and the development of AML.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death and dismissed the appeal regarding SMC based on the need for aid and attendance for the surviving spouse.
- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death, acute leukemia, was not service-connected as it did not manifest in service or for many years thereafter and is not related to service.
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