The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to lack of evidence linking his current disabilities to military service, including herbicide agent exposure. The Veteran was found not to meet the criteria for TDIU as he had multiple service-connected disabilities rated at 90% combined.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that there is no credible evidence showing a direct link between the Veteran's hypertension and his military service or herbicide agent exposure, nor did it find sufficient evidence of an association with Agent Orange exposure to grant service connection based on this presumption. The TDIU claim was denied as the Veteran had multiple service-connected disabilities rated at 90% combined.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), lumbosacral strain with arthritis, left ankle sprain, tinnitus, left leg sciatica, right leg sciatica, left ear hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 2, 2021
- Citation
- 21005664
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 21005664.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
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 claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and PTSD. The Veteran will be asked to provide additional medical records and undergo a VA examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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