The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a blood disorder manifested by low white blood cell count and low platelet count, finding that it was not incurred in or related to his active duty service, including exposure to herbicide agents.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there is no evidence of record linking the Veteran's blood disorder to his active duty service, including exposure to herbicide agents. The opinions provided by VA and private physicians did not support a link between the Veteran's condition and his military service or herbicide agent exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- blood disorder manifested by a low white blood cell count and low platelet count
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 17, 2021
- Citation
- 21030012
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 21030012.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's blood disorder is related to his service, specifically his presumed herbicide agent exposure. Additional development is needed including obtaining authorization for records from UNM Cancer Hospital and providing a new VA medical opinion.
- Granted
The Board of Veterans' Appeals has granted service connection for PTSD and Mood Disorders, both presumed conditions under the PACT Act.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- Granted
Service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is granted. The appeal as to the issue of entitlement to service connection for erectile dysfunction is dismissed.
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