The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to leukemia, concluding that there was no evidence linking it to his military service or herbicide exposure.
The deciding factor: There was no in-service manifestation of leukemia and no evidence of a compensable level within one year following separation from service. The Board found that the leukemia did not begin during active service and is not related to an in-service injury, event, or illness.
- Claimed conditions
- Leukemia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 27, 2019
- Citation
- 19166096
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 19166096.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, finding that his leukemia was related to in-service exposure to jet fuels, benzene, and TCE.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of [REDACTED], 2016, for the award of dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) based on direct service connection for the Veteran's cause of death.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for leukemia and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) based on the Veteran's death, finding that his in-service exposure to chemicals contributed to his leukemia which was a significant cause of his death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for leukemia to afford the Veteran a VA examination to determine its nature and etiology.
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.