The Board denied service connection for Hodgkin's lymphoma and a blood clot disorder of the left leg, finding no evidence to support a causal link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service or any in-service exposure.
The deciding factor: There was insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the Veteran’s Hodgkin's lymphoma and his service in Southwest Asia or his in-service Havrix vaccine. The Board also found that there was no established causal link between the blood clot disorder of the left leg and the Veteran's Hodgkin's lymphoma.
- Claimed conditions
- Hodgkin's lymphoma, Blood clot disorder of the left leg
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 14, 2020
- Citation
- 20066730
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 Hodgkin's lymphoma, finding that the Veteran was exposed to commercial herbicides and pesticides during her service on Galeta Island in Panama, which contributed to her development of Hodgkin's lymphoma.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for PTSD, asthma disorder, and Hodgkin's lymphoma to correct a pre-decisional error of the duty to assist.
- Denied
The Board denied an earlier effective date and a compensable rating for Hodgkin's lymphoma, as the Veteran’s condition has not been actively treated since 2020.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for Hodgkin's lymphoma, hypertension, and Type II diabetes mellitus associated with herbicide agent exposure.
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