The Veteran's non-Hodgkin lymphoma is not service connected as it did not begin during his active duty or within one year of discharge. The exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune occurred after he left the military, and therefore does not qualify for service connection.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's active duty service did not include service at Camp Lejeune, where the contaminated water exposure occurred.
- Claimed conditions
- non-Hodgkin lymphoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 22, 2019
- Citation
- 19165212
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,421 · Granted: 31% (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 19165212.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
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: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of various conditions has been dismissed without prejudice due to their death.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran passed away during the appeal process, so their claim for non-Hodgkin lymphoma service connection is dismissed.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, as there is no competent or credible evidence to show that the condition is attributable to active duty service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has removed the character of discharge as a bar to VA compensation benefits, and thus grants the appeal. The claim for service connection for non-Hodgkin lymphoma is referred back to the RO for further consideration.
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.