The Veteran's death was found to be due to acute myeloid leukemia, which the VA medical expert opined was likely caused by exposure to radiation from x-rays taken of service-connected disabilities and contaminated groundwater at Fort Eustis. The claim for service connection for the cause of death is granted.
The deciding factor: The medical opinion established a link between the Veteran's exposure to radiation and his acute myeloid leukemia, which was found to be the cause of his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Acute myeloid leukemia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Ionizing radiation
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 6, 2019
- Citation
- 19108622
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,828 · Granted: 32% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 19108622.
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 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's acute myeloid leukemia is granted as a result of herbicide exposure during his service in Vietnam.
- 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.
- 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.