The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for CLL and an increased rating for CKD, as well as his TDIU claim. The remand requires obtaining additional evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents at Fort McClellan and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his CLL.
The deciding factor: The Board found insufficient evidence to support the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating, as well as TDIU, due to incomplete development regarding potential exposure to herbicide agents and lack of recent medical evaluations.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), chronic kidney disease (CKD)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 29, 2020
- Citation
- 20006697
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,249 · Granted: 37% (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 20006697.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
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 appeal is being remanded to obtain a medical examination regarding the severity of his residuals from chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), including chronic fatigue. The initial compensable rating for CLL remains denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that new evidence has been received to reconsider the claims for service connection for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The claims are being remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic kidney disease (CKD) with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is denied as the earliest effective date possible is August 2, 2024. The PACT Act did not establish CKD as a presumptive disease relating to herbicide agent exposure and MGUS was diagnosed after the liberalizing law.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for CLL, B-cell leukemia, and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma on a presumptive basis due to in-service herbicide exposure. The Veteran served within the territorial sea of the Republic of Vietnam during his active duty.
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