The Board has found the Veteran was exposed to herbicides. Therefore, his hypertension is presumed related to service and he is granted service connection for this condition. The lumbar and cervical sprains are also presumed related to service due to herbicide exposure. However, the Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for rectal cancer, IHD, or any other conditions.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hypertension is presumed related to his in-service herbicide exposure and he was exposed to herbicides during service at Camp Pendleton. The lumbar and cervical sprains are also presumed related to service due to herbicide exposure. However, the evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for rectal cancer, IHD, or any other conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- rectal cancer, degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine, hypertension, residuals of a stroke
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 15, 2017
- Citation
- 1733081
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 1733081.
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 claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development of records and will provide a supplemental statement of the case if necessary.
- 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.
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