The Board found that the veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disorder as residual to Agent Orange exposure is not well grounded due to lack of competent medical evidence linking his current condition to his period of active service or to his conceded exposure to Agent Orange. The claim for PTSD was denied because no new and material evidence had been submitted since the last final denial in 1983.
The deciding factor: The veteran's skin disorder is not linked to his Vietnam service, as there were no findings of a skin condition during service or on separation examination. His current dermatitis of the back has an unknown etiology and was not diagnosed until after his period of active duty. The Board also found that the submitted evidence did not meet the criteria for new and material evidence in relation to his PTSD claim.
- Claimed conditions
- skin disorder (claimed as residual to Agent Orange exposure), PTSD
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 22, 2000
- Citation
- 0022177
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 0022177.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board of Veterans' Appeals has granted service connection for PTSD and Mood Disorders, both presumed conditions under the PACT Act.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD was granted with an initial evaluation of 50 percent, effective September 24, 2007. The appeal regarding the heart condition and sleep disorder is denied. The Veteran's hearing loss prior to August 24, 2015, warrants a 20 percent rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that the Veteran meets the basic medical eligibility criteria for PCAFC benefits due to his need for personal care services based on symptoms or residuals of neurological or other impairment or injury. However, further clinical evaluation is needed to determine if participation in the program is in the Veteran's best interest.
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