The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for myelodysplastic syndrome due to a duty to assist error. The Veteran's death was attributed to his service-connected coronary artery disease, which is presumed related to herbicide agent exposure.
The deciding factor: The VA physician's opinion did not consider the total potential exposure through all applicable deployments and the synergistic, combined effect of all toxic exposure risk activities as required by the PACT Act.
- Claimed conditions
- myelodysplastic syndrome, pancytopenia, myelodysplastic disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 3, 2024
- Citation
- A24035993
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 A24035993.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for blood cancer, leukemia, eye disorder, myelodysplastic syndrome, and thrombocytopenia due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated by his military service. The case is remanded for further development.
- Denied
The Veteran's red cell aplasia and myelodysplastic syndrome were not found to be related to service, specifically exposure at Camp Lejeune. The Board determined that the presumptive service connection for contaminated water exposure did not apply due to insufficient time spent at Camp Lejeune.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's cause of death is attributed to myelodysplastic syndrome, which the Board finds was not service-connected. The claim will be remanded for further investigation into whether exposure to herbicide agents during service caused or aggravated these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for a blood/bone marrow disorder, including myelodysplastic syndrome, leukopenia, and neutropenia, is being remanded due to the submission of new and relevant evidence. The Board acknowledges that the Veteran was exposed to Agent Orange during his military service in Vietnam.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.