The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected condition, and the claim for service connection for cause of death is denied.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence that the Veteran had AML during service or within one year after service separation. The VA has determined that exposure to herbicides does not warrant presumptive service connection for AML.
- Claimed conditions
- Acute myeloid leukemia
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 24, 2015
- Citation
- 1526883
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1526883.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's acute myeloid leukemia is granted as a result of herbicide exposure during his service in Vietnam.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's cause of death was related to his exposure to herbicide agents while serving in Vietnam. The appellant must provide additional evidence to support her claim.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
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.