The Board granted service connection for monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and smoldering multiple myeloma, both presumed due to in-service herbicide exposure. A compensable disability rating was denied for the service-connected hepatitis C.
The deciding factor: The evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran served in areas where exposure to herbicides is presumed, leading to a grant of service connection under the presumption of herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, Smoldering multiple myeloma
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 7, 2025
- Citation
- A25011568
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,421 · Granted: 31% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A25011568.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is granted as service-connected.,His smoldering multiple myeloma does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a further VA medical opinion to address the etiology of the Veteran's monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, specifically regarding direct service connection.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance is granted permanent and total status, currently rated as 100 percent disabling.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, prostate cancer, hypertension, a cardiac disability, pubis scar as secondary to prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction as secondary to prostate cancer, and special monthly compensation based on loss of use of a creative organ. The claim for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for an acquired psychiatric disorder was denied, as were the claims for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.
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