The Board remands the claims for further development, specifically to obtain a medical opinion addressing the Veteran's claimed exposure to benzene and other toxic substances during service.
The deciding factor: The previous opinions did not adequately address the Veteran's claimed exposure to benzene, which is required under the PACT Act.
- Claimed conditions
- acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 30, 2025
- Citation
- 25007332
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 remands the appeal for a new VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's MDS and potential AML and b-cell leukemia due to inadequacies in previous opinions.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), to include anaplastic anemia, due to toxic exposure at Fort McClellan.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for myelodysplastic syndrome based on the Veteran's exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune during his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 due to an inadequate medical opinion and a need for additional development regarding potential exposures during service.
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