The Veteran's prostate cancer is granted service connection due to presumed exposure to herbicides. Service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, left hand disorder, right hand disorder, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder are denied as not related to service or a service-connected condition. Service connection for melanoma is also denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during service, presumptively granting service connection for prostate cancer. The evidence does not support a link between the peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities and service or a service-connected condition. Similar findings were made regarding the left hand disorder, right hand disorder, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- prostate cancer, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, left hand disorder, right hand disorder, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, bilateral hearing loss, melanoma
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19146142
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 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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his lung cancer was related to his service-connected melanoma.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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