The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for thymoma, finding that the claim was not based on a new and material evidence or a change in law. The effective date remains October 30, 1998.
The deciding factor: The claim was originally filed due to herbicide exposure, but denied as thymoma is not considered a presumptive disability for respiratory cancers.
- Claimed conditions
- thymoma
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 14, 2010
- Citation
- 1017990
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 1017990.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for thymoma, thyroid nodule, Myasthenia gravis, splenic calcified granuloma, hepatic calcified granuloma, and calcified pleural granuloma, all of which are related to toxic environmental exposures during active naval service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection of thymoma and tumors/cysts of the liver, kidneys, and pancreas to obtain an addendum opinion addressing their relationship to in-service exposure to herbicide agents.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for thymoma, bilateral shoulder arthritis, and chronic fatigue syndrome are granted due to the PACT Act presumption of exposure to environmental hazards. The Veteran is assigned a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for financial assistance in the purchase of one automobile or other conveyance and automobile adaptive equipment is remanded. The Board also requests an examination to assess the functional impairment attributable to his service-connected disabilities, including whether they limit his ability to use his left hand with a prosthetic.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.