Service connection for type II diabetes mellitus as secondary to in-service exposure to herbicide agents is granted.,Service connection for hypertension under the PACT Act is granted.,Service connection for a kidney disability as secondary to service-connected type II diabetes mellitus is granted.,Service connection for residuals of strokes, including as secondary to in-service exposure to herbicide agents and service-connected type II diabetes mellitus and hypertension, is remanded.,Service connection for seizure disorder, including as secondary to in-service exposure to herbicide agents and service-connected type II diabetes mellitus, is remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence in equipoise as to whether the Veteran served on or near the perimeter of U-Tapao Royal Thai Air Force Base during his service in Thailand. The weight of evidence shows that the kidney disability was caused by the now-service-connected type II diabetes mellitus.,Under the PACT Act, hypertension is recognized as presumptively associated with exposure to herbicide agents.,The Veteran has type II diabetes mellitus that is presumed related to his in-service herbicide-agent exposure from serving on or near the perimeter of U-Tapao Royal Thai Air Force Base. The weight of evidence shows that the kidney disability was caused by the now-service-connected type II diabetes mellitus.,No affirmative evidence supports a conclusion that the Veteran's hypertension was not incurred in service, and the nexus presumption found in the PACT Act is applicable as to this claim.,The examiner must opine on whether it is at least as likely as not (likelihood is at least approximately balanced or nearly equal, if not higher) that any current seizure disorder is related to an in-service injury, event, or disease, including in-service exposure to herbicide agents.
- Claimed conditions
- type II diabetes mellitus, hypertension, kidney disability, residuals of strokes, seizure disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 14, 2023
- Citation
- 23039182
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 23039182.
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 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 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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