The Board granted service connection for a back disability, bilateral hip disability, bilateral knee disability, bilateral leg numbness, OSA as due to in-service exposure to an herbicide agent, cardiovascular disability (including atrial fibrillation or coronary artery disease) and skin cancer all as due to in-service exposure to an herbicide agent. The effective date of the rating for these conditions is March 3, 2016.
The deciding factor: The evidence supported the Veteran's assertions that his disabilities were related to active service, including presumed exposure to Agent Orange during service.
- Claimed conditions
- back disability, bilateral hip disability, bilateral knee disability, bilateral leg numbness, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), cardiovascular disability, skin cancer, kidney disease
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- April 25, 2019
- Citation
- 19132435
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 remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for a back disability due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding VA's failure to provide the Veteran with a VA examination prior to the rating decision.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted a 70 percent initial disability rating for PTSD effective December 2, 2021, but the claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent was denied. The appeal also included claims for service connection and ratings for various conditions, some of which were granted while others were remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the service connection claim for a bilateral knee disability to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error, including scheduling an additional VA examination.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) based on the Veteran's exposure to in-service chemical agents.
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