The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, atrial bradycardia, intracranial subdural hematoma, bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy. The claims for service connection for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and loss of taste are being remanded.,The Board found that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's SCC and loss of taste are related to herbicide exposure during service.
The deciding factor: The medical opinion provided by the VA examiner was not consistent with Polovick v. Shinseki, which requires a nexus between the condition and service.,The evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's SCC and loss of taste are related to herbicide exposure during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Heart Disability (Hypertension and Atrial Bradycardia), Intracranial Subdural Hematoma, Bilateral Upper Extremity Peripheral Neuropathy, Bilateral Lower Extremity Peripheral Neuropathy
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 3, 2022
- Citation
- 22000099
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 22000099.
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 eligibility determination for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) due to inadequate medical opinion and a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Denied
The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection of Diabetes Mellitus type II, Bilateral Upper Extremity Peripheral Neuropathy, and Bilateral Lower Extremity Peripheral Neuropathy as the earliest date of claim is April 5, 2024.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, diabetic nephropathy, bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, diabetes, and tinnitus, have rendered him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment.
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