Service connection is granted for hypertension due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents. Service connection for cardiomyopathy is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hypertension was found to be presumptively related to service due to in-service herbicide agent exposure, as per the PACT Act. However, service connection for cardiomyopathy requires additional evidence and an opinion regarding whether it is proximately due to or aggravated by a service-connected condition.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, cardiomyopathy
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 11, 2022
- Citation
- A22020581
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 A22020581.
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
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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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