The Board granted service connection for coronary artery disease effective August 31, 2010 based on the liberalizing law that added ischemic heart disease to the list of diseases associated with herbicide exposure. The effective date for depression was set at May 17, 1973 as this is when the Veteran first sought VA medical benefits and applied for psychiatric treatment.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's intent to apply for service connection for coronary artery disease was established by his diagnosis in 2010 and the liberalizing law effective August 31, 2010. For depression, the Board determined that the May 17, 1973 application constituted an informal claim.
- Claimed conditions
- Coronary artery disease, Depression
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- January 30, 2020
- Citation
- 20007377
Veterans Law Judge
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 20007377.
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 has remanded the case due to insufficient findings regarding PTSD and depression, requiring a new VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to errors in the AOJ's handling of the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, other specified trauma and stressor-related disorder, and depression. The AOJ is required to verify the Veteran's claimed stressor and obtain medical opinions regarding the diagnoses and their relation to service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Anxiety, and Depression as these conditions are found to be related to the Veteran's active military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for heart condition was granted with an effective date of August 1, 2019. The decision is based on evidence showing exposure to diesel and gas fuel during service.
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