The Board has granted service connection for carotid artery disease and peripheral artery disease, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether these conditions were incurred during active duty. The Veteran served in Vietnam and there is no indication of herbicide exposure.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on a finding of equipoise between positive and negative evidence regarding the incurrence of carotid artery disease and peripheral artery disease during service, with consideration given to the Veteran's presumed exposure to herbicides due to his service in Vietnam.
- Claimed conditions
- carotid artery disease, peripheral artery disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 7, 2019
- Citation
- 19135361
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,156 · Granted: 29% (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 19135361.
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 has granted service connection for left hand numbness, right hand numbness, left foot numbness, right foot numbness, and peripheral artery disease. The claims of service connection for epidermophytosis (claimed as trench foot), bilateral flat foot (pes planus), bilateral hammer toes, and hallux valgus (right foot) are remanded.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for aortic insufficiency, aortic stenosis and congestive heart failure, and carotid artery disease. The conditions are related to in-service exposure to toxic substances and stress.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus type 2 aggravated his peripheral artery disease, which was the direct cause of his above the right knee amputation. As a result, the claim for secondary service connection is granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to errors in duty to assist and insufficient medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's cause of death. The AOJ is instructed to verify the Veteran's alleged exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Okinawa, Japan, and obtain a VA medical opinion on the etiology of COD.
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