The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and postoperative residuals of prostate surgery due to exposure to herbicides as there is no indication the Veteran was exposed to Agent Orange while stationed in Thailand.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's military records confirm he served in Thailand but there is no evidence of herbicide exposure during his time there. The presumption for service connection based on herbicide exposure does not apply due to lack of exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, hypertension, postoperative residuals of prostate surgery
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 28, 2009
- Citation
- 0932449
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 0932449.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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