The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's hairy cell leukemia and his in-service exposure to toxic chemicals, including benzene in JP-4 jet fuel.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners' opinions were inadequate as they did not address the medical literature related to the potential relationship between chemical exposure and leukemia, particularly the EPA report on benzene and leukemia.
- Claimed conditions
- hairy cell leukemia
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 17, 2020
- Citation
- 20079808
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 20079808.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for hairy cell leukemia and thrombocytopenia under the PACT Act, but remanded claims for further evidence.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for hairy cell leukemia as due to herbicide exposure and the cause of death, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hairy cell leukemia as the evidence did not support a finding that it began during service, manifested to a compensable degree within one year after discharge from active duty, or was otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for hairy cell leukemia, finding that the Veteran's condition is related to his military service and exposure to contaminated drinking water at Fort Sam Houston.
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