The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, hypertension, residuals of cerebrovascular accident (CVA), depressive disorder, right ear hearing loss, and erectile dysfunction are granted service connection due to exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam. The Veteran’s left ear hearing loss is denied as not meeting the criteria for a disability rating under VA regulations.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, hypertension, residuals of cerebrovascular accident (CVA), depressive disorder, right ear hearing loss, and erectile dysfunction are related to his service due to exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam. The left ear hearing loss did not meet the criteria for a disability rating under VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, hypertension, residuals of cerebrovascular accident (CVA), depressive disorder, left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, sleep apnea, erectile dysfunction, chronic kidney disease, headaches
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- April 12, 2019
- Citation
- 19128821
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.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease, and no competent evidence linking the condition to service.
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