The Veteran's death was not caused by or contributed substantially to his service-connected disabilities, including presumed exposure to radiation. The Board found no evidence of exposure to chemicals, herbicide agents, or depleted uranium during service and concluded that the appellant's lay assertions were not competent evidence of a medical nexus.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's cause of death was attributed to acute myeloid leukemia, which the Board determined could not be linked to his military service due to lack of exposure to known causative factors.
- Claimed conditions
- Acute myeloid leukemia, Neutropenic fevers, Meningeal leukemia
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 28, 2023
- Citation
- 23018887
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 23018887.
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 Veteran's acute myeloid leukemia is granted as service-connected for the purposes of accrued benefits, and his cause of death due to this condition is also granted.
- Granted
The Veteran's acute myeloid leukemia is granted as a result of herbicide exposure during his service in Vietnam.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for ischemic heart disease and cause of death due to acute myeloid leukemia. The remand includes obtaining a determination on eligibility for substitution, conducting development regarding herbicide exposure, verifying participation in toxic exposure risk activities (TERAs), and obtaining medical opinions on the nature and etiology of the Veteran's acute myeloid leukemia.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's cause of death was related to his exposure to herbicide agents while serving in Vietnam. The appellant must provide additional evidence to support her claim.
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