The Board denied the appellant's request for an effective date prior to March 14, 2017, for service connection cause of death due to adult leukemia. The effective date is set at March 14, 2017, as this was when the law was amended to add adult leukemia to the list of diseases associated with contaminants present in the water supply at Camp Lejeune.
The deciding factor: The Board found that an earlier effective date prior to March 14, 2017 is legally precluded due to retroactivity prohibitions and lack of special carve-outs for veterans exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
- Claimed conditions
- Acute lymphoid leukemia, Adult leukemia
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 24, 2022
- Citation
- 22036608
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 22036608.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's acute lymphoid leukemia, which was related to his exposure to contaminants during service, qualifies as a cause of death. The decision grants service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's cause of death is granted due to service connection for acute lymphoid leukemia, which was presumed based on exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The Board also found that the Veteran met the threshold duration of service required under 38 C.F.R. § 3.307(a)(7)(iii).
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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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