The Veteran's death was caused by myelodysplastic syndrome, which is presumed to be due to exposure at Camp Lejeune. The Board grants service connection for the cause of his death and dismisses other claims as moot or not applicable.
The deciding factor: Myelodysplastic syndrome is presumed to have been caused by exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, which contributed substantially to the Veteran's death due to cardiopulmonary arrest.
- Claimed conditions
- Myelodysplastic syndrome, Cervical spine disorder
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 26, 2018
- Citation
- 18145193
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 18145193.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disorder, finding that there was no evidence of a causal relationship between his current condition and his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine disorder and psychiatric disorder due to incomplete information. The Veteran needs to provide his complete service personnel records, verify his alleged combat experience in Vietnam, and undergo VA examinations for both conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the initial ratings assigned for psoriatic arthritis of the upper and lower extremities, as well as service connection for a cervical spine disorder, need to be remanded due to incomplete evidence. The Veteran's periods of active duty for training (ADT) and inactive duty for training (IDT) must be confirmed, and all relevant medical records should be obtained.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him in need of regular aid and attendance, warranting an effective date of January 8, 2014 for SMC based on the need for aid and attendance.
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