The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, coronary artery disease, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and lumbar stenosis status post fusion, left lower extremity radiculopathy (left leg disability), and right lower extremity radiculopathy (right foot disability) are all granted. The Veteran is also awarded a TDIU due to service-connected PTSD from May 24, 2013 through February 7, 2016.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's current diagnoses of coronary artery disease and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and lumbar stenosis status post fusion are presumptively service-connected due to his exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam. The Veteran also had continuous symptoms since service, which supported a finding of service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- coronary artery disease, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and lumbar stenosis status post fusion
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- October 6, 2020
- Citation
- 20064692
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,604 · Granted: 65% (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 20064692.
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 claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for coronary artery disease is being remanded due to the inadequacy of a previous VA examination.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for coronary artery disease, hypertension, and stroke as there was no evidence of herbicide agent exposure during service and the medical opinions were against a nexus to service.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claim for coronary artery disease with myocardial infarction is granted on a presumptive basis due to exposure to herbicide agents during his active duty in Korea.
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