The Board granted service connection for chronic lymphocytic leukemia with fatigue, recurrent left lower extremity deep vein thrombosis, chronic hypogammaglobulinemia, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma. The claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's conditions were related to his service-connected chronic lymphocytic leukemia and exposure to toxic materials including benzene, burn pits, and smoke while performing military duties on Johnston Atoll.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic lymphocytic leukemia with fatigue, recurrent left lower extremity deep vein thrombosis, chronic hypogammaglobulinemia, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- March 11, 2025
- Citation
- A25022448
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.
- Partly granted
The appeal for service connection for skin cancer was dismissed due to untimeliness, while the claim for squamous cell carcinoma was granted.
- Partly granted
The Board dismissed the claim for service connection for headaches and remanded claims for service connection for various other conditions, including open angle glaucoma, sensorineural hearing loss, asthma, heart disease, bladder cancer, and squamous cell carcinoma.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for supraventricular arrhythmias, basal cell carcinoma, kidney stones, and COPD as the AOJ failed to substantially comply with prior remand directives.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for basal cell carcinoma and a higher initial disability rating of 70 percent for other specified trauma-and-stressor-related disorder, while denying increased ratings for lumbosacral strain, right lower radiculopathy, bilateral hearing loss, chronic rhinitis, tension headaches, and mitral valve prolapse.
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