The Veteran's cause of death is due to his service-connected B-cell leukemia, which was presumed to be caused by herbicide agent exposure during his service in Thailand. The Board granted the claim for service connection.
The deciding factor: Service connection was granted based on presumptive exposure to herbicides and the fact that the Veteran's B-cell leukemia was a contributory cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- Acute respiratory failure, Toxic metabolic encephalopathy, B-cell leukemia
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 3, 2022
- Citation
- 22044085
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 22044085.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and thus denied his claim for service connection for cause of death.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for cause of death due to acute respiratory failure and subdural hematoma, finding that no service-connected disability contributed substantially or materially to his death. The Veteran served in Vietnam but there is no evidence of a service-connected condition related to Agent Orange exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death (acute respiratory failure, atrial fibrillation, and/or hypertension) is related to his active duty service, including from exposure to toxins and chemicals from open burn pits during the harsh winters in Korea. The Board finds a pre-decisional duty to assist error and remands for obtaining a VA medical opinion.
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