The Veteran's claim of service connection for a thyroid condition, including Graves' Disease and hypothyroidism, is reopened. The Board found new and material evidence in the form of a September 2016 letter from Dr. L.S., stating that the Veteran’s current thyroid condition is at least as likely as not due to exposure to Agent Orange.
The deciding factor: The new medical opinion provided by Dr. L.S. established a link between the Veteran's service-connected Graves' Disease and his current hypothyroidism, which was attributed to Agent Orange exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- Graves' Disease, Hypothyroidism
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 26, 2018
- Citation
- 18113835
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 18113835.
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 has denied service connection for high blood pressure, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), aortic valve regurgitation, and hypothyroidism as the evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection due to lack of in-service diagnosis or chronic symptoms.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Major Depressive Disorder, Hypothyroidism, and Hypertension. The decision is based on direct evidence of these conditions during service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim of entitlement to an initial compensable disability rating for right shin splints due to inadequate examination and failure to address increased symptomatology during flare-ups. The Veteran's service connection for hypothyroidism was granted in full, leaving only her right shin splint issue on appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD, hypertension, DMII, hypothyroidism, and skin condition are related to his active-duty service. However, further development is needed for the claims of erectile dysfunction and skin condition due to potential exposure to toxins during service.
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