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
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,017 · Granted: 36% (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 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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral shoulder disability and increased ratings for her bilateral knee disabilities, finding no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.
- Granted
The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of service connection for a back disability, endometriosis, thyroid condition, and chronic fatigue syndrome due to new evidence submitted since the last final denial. The claims are now considered on their merits.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for a neurological examination to determine if any diagnosed radiculopathy or other neurological disability affecting the lower extremities was caused or aggravated by service-connected conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete service treatment records and a need for additional VA examination. The Veteran's back disability is being reviewed again with new evidence.
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