The Board has granted service connection for the cause of death and MDS with chronic myelogenous leukemia, for accrued benefits purposes. The Veteran's death was caused by pneumonia due to complications from his leukemia, which is related to in-service exposure to chemical contaminants including IRFNA, UDMH, JP-4 petroleum, and benzenes. Service connection has also been granted for MDS with chronic myelogenous leukemia on a direct basis.
The deciding factor: The Board found the evidence in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran's cause of death was caused by exposure to chemical contaminants during service, leading to his development of MDS which progressed to chronic myelogenous leukemia. The medical opinions supported this finding.
- Claimed conditions
- Myelodysplastic syndrome, Chronic myelogenous leukemia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 2, 2019
- Citation
- 19134290
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,200 · Granted: 43% (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 19134290.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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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