The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's thyroid condition, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to his in-service exposure to herbicide agents.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was a link between the Veteran's thyroid cancer and his in-service exposure to herbicide agents, resolving all doubt in favor of the Veteran.
- Claimed conditions
- thyroid condition, papillary carcinoma, residuals of a post total thyroidectomy
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 17, 2020
- Citation
- 20004272
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,350 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20004272.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the issues of chest pain, ear condition, vaginosis, syncope, thyroid condition, and jaw condition have been dismissed due to non-jurisdictional procedural defects. The Board has also remanded the claims for service connection on the issues of occipital neuralgia, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) for further development.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not qualify as a disability for VA rating purposes and has remanded the thyroid condition claim due to inadequate medical opinion.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error and requires an addendum opinion regarding the Veteran's thyroid condition.
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