The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's myelodysplastic syndrome was related to his in-service radiation exposure, and therefore grants service connection for the cause of death.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner provided a strong opinion linking the Veteran’s myelodysplastic syndrome to his in-service radiation exposure, while the VA health physicist offered an opinion that contradicted this conclusion but did not address all relevant medical history or articles submitted by the appellant.
- Claimed conditions
- Myelodysplastic syndrome
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Ionizing radiation
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19108159
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,088 · Granted: 33% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19108159.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's case is being remanded due to a duty-to-assist error and the inextricability of his TDIU claim with his MDS residuals.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, as there was no evidence to support a finding that the Veteran's death was related to his active service or any in-service injury or disease.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board denied the appellant's claim for entitlement to nonservice-connected (NSC) survivor's pension benefits due to a lack of active service during a period of war. The case was remanded to further investigate potential toxic exposure and obtain additional medical evidence regarding the Veteran's cause of death.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical opinion to determine if the Veteran's death was attributable to VA care, specifically an incompatible blood transfusion.
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