The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for the cause of death due to new and material evidence. The Veteran died from Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML), which is not a presumptively service-connected condition based on exposure to herbicides or other environmental factors. The VA consulting oncologist's opinion supports that AML was not caused by service, as it manifested more than one year after the Veteran's discharge and there is no evidence of its onset during service.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not establish a direct link between the Veteran's death from Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) and his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 22, 2016
- Citation
- 1606494
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 1606494.
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 Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death, Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML), is related to his in-service exposure to herbicide agents. After considering all evidence and resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the claimant, service connection for AML due to herbicide exposure is granted.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for various conditions and granted an initial 20 percent rating for right lower extremity deep vein thrombosis, while remanding several other issues.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded several issues related to the effective dates and service connection for AML, including a motion to revise the November 2005 rating decision on CUE grounds. The propriety of the January 2022 rating decision regarding the effective date for accrued benefits purposes is also under review.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied a compensable evaluation for AML with allogenic SCT from August 1, 2018. The appeal is remanded for further consideration of service connection claims related to hiatal hernia, dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), and an acquired mental disorder.
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