The Veteran's Merkel cell carcinoma is found to be at least as likely as not related to his exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, and service connection for this condition is granted.
The deciding factor: Medical opinions support a link between the Veteran's exposure to contaminants in the Camp Lejeune water supply and his development of Merkel cell carcinoma.
- Claimed conditions
- Merkel cell carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19177033
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 Board granted service connection for Merkel cell carcinoma based on the Veteran's presumed exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for Merkel cell carcinoma for additional development.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for Merkel cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service, including exposure to ionizing radiation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical opinion addressing whether the Veteran's left eye condition is related to service, as it found that the condition did not preexist service.
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