The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a lung disability due to presumed exposure to Agent Orange during service. The Veteran's lung disability is related to his in-service exposure, and the evidence supports this conclusion.
The deciding factor: A June 2021 private medical opinion provided significant probative value supporting the relationship between the Veteran's lung disability and his in-service exposure to Agent Orange.
- Claimed conditions
- lung disability, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 6, 2021
- Citation
- 21062069
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,990 · Granted: 35% (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 21062069.
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 decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding private medical records related to asbestos exposure and lung disability. The Veteran is requested to provide information about his private physician and for VA to obtain relevant records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II; a heart disability; hypertension; and a lung disability due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran is currently diagnosed with these conditions and reported symptoms during service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for compensation benefits for a lung disability and TDIU are being remanded due to errors in the initial adjudication process.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for gout and lung disability have been remanded due to the submission of new evidence that tends to prove or disprove an element at issue. The AOJ will now consider these claims on their merits.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.