The Veteran's application to reopen a claim for service connection due to Agent Orange exposure was granted. The claims for sinus condition, sleep apnea, heart condition, and respiratory condition were denied. The rating for bilateral pes planus was increased to 50 percent.,Service connection for the skin condition due to Agent Orange exposure is granted. Service connection for a sinus condition, sleep apnea, heart condition, and respiratory condition are denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's application to reopen his claim of service connection for a skin condition due to Agent Orange exposure was successful because new evidence showed the presence of a rash on both buttocks. The claims for sinus condition, sleep apnea, heart condition, and respiratory condition were denied as there is no objective evidence of these conditions during the appeal period.
- Claimed conditions
- Skin condition due to Agent Orange exposure, Sinus condition, Sleep apnea, Heart condition, Respiratory condition, Bilateral pes planus, Right foot hallux valgus
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 8, 2019
- Citation
- 19101471
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,642 · Granted: 19% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19101471.
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 Veteran's claims for sleep apnea and acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) due to insufficient evidence of record. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to determine if his conditions are related to service.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes planus with hammer toes, hallux valgus and degenerative arthritis, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral kidney cysts, rendered him unable to secure or follow gainful employment. The Board granted the TDIU based on these conditions.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for service connection of a heart condition is dismissed as the Board has already granted it. The appeal for increased rating of PTSD is also dismissed due to the grant of service connection.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the claims for psychiatric disability and sleep apnea.,Service connection was granted for right lower extremity radiculopathy and left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to a service-connected back disability, but denied for right wrist disability.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.