The Veteran is granted service connection for the claimed disabilities due to exposure to test agents used during Project SHAD, effective November 25, 2002. However, he is not entitled to an earlier effective date as his claim remained pending until the grant of service connection in August 2010.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claim for service connection was pending since November 25, 2002, and the RO granted service connection on that basis. The effective date is set at the earliest possible date due to the pending nature of his claim.
- Claimed conditions
- contact dermatitis of the face, legs, arms and back, strain, right forearm and degenerative joint disease, right elbow (major), degenerative joint disease, right shoulder (major), intermittent muscle twitches, right bundle branch block (claimed as heart palpitations), restrictive lung disease (claimed as shortness of breath)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 3, 2015
- Citation
- 1523479
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 1523479.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing proper notice regarding secondary service connection.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The appeal is granted as his PTSD is now considered service-connected.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection of a left leg disability is reopened, and the appeal is granted.
- 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.
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