The Board has determined that the Veteran's urothelial carcinoma of the bladder is related to his in-service exposure to environmental toxins, specifically from working as an apprentice firefighter at Otis Air Force Base in Massachusetts. As a result, service connection for this condition is granted.
The deciding factor: The opinions provided by medical professionals indicate that the Veteran's urothelial carcinoma of the bladder was caused by or resulted from his exposure to carcinogens and VOCs during his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- urothelial carcinoma of the bladder
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 27, 2019
- Citation
- 19166176
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,676 · Granted: 24% (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 19166176.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied a higher disability rating for the Veteran's meniscal tear of the right knee prior to December 30, 2020 and denied a compensable rating for his scar residuals. The claim for service connection for urothelial carcinoma of the bladder was dismissed as it has been fully granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
Your claims for service connection and increased ratings are being returned to the agency that initially handled your claim for review. They will consider all new evidence, including a recent VA examination of your knees.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing proper notice regarding secondary service connection.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The appeal is granted as his PTSD is now considered service-connected.
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