The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease, all of which the Veteran claimed were due to in-service herbicide exposure. The evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran was exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides during his active duty.
The deciding factor: There is no credible evidence showing the Veteran served on a ship transporting barrels with an orange stripe containing Agent Orange, as he claimed.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, plantar fasciitis, Dupuytren's Contracture, cataracts, chronic infections, sleep apnea, respiratory disorder, poor circulation, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, skin disorder, Bell's Palsy, peripheral neuropathy
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 28, 2018
- Citation
- 18153824
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 18153824.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- 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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- 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.
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