The Veteran's melanoma and residuals thereof are at least as likely as not proximately due to his herbicide exposure. His bilateral hyperaldosteronism is an endocrinopathy that manifested within one year of separation from active duty, warranting presumptive service connection. The Veteran's left ear hearing loss had its onset during active duty.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence supports the Veteran's claims for service connection based on herbicide exposure and in-service onset of symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- Melanoma, Bilateral Hyperaldosteronism, Left Ear Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 16, 2016
- Citation
- 1624204
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 1624204.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right ear hearing loss and a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims based on in-service noise exposure or other theories.
- Granted
The Veteran's melanoma is granted service connection. Service connection for skin cancer other than melanoma is remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the DIC benefits claim due to a failure to obtain relevant medical records from Jefferson City Health and Rehabilitation Center, which could provide information about the Veteran's diagnosis of melanoma.
- Granted
The Veteran was granted a TDIU with a September 19, 2024 effective date based on his PTSD, emphysema, and COPD symptoms. His diabetes, tinnitus, and left ear hearing loss were not found to prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to March 19, 2024.
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