The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted. The Board found that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his service and this exposure is presumed to cause the claimed conditions.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents in Korea is presumed, leading to a presumption of causation for the claimed conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Diabetes Mellitus (DM), Type II, Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD), Skin Rash with Discolored Spots (claimed as skin rash and cysts on face), Basal Cell Carcinoma, Skin Cysts on the Back, Right Eye Cataract, Colon Polyps, Diverticulitis, Left Kidney Cyst, Loss of Teeth, Neuropathy of the Left Lower Extremity, Neuropathy of the Right Lower Extremity, Sinus Disorder, Skin Disorder of the Scalp and Hairline
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 11, 2023
- Citation
- 23055431
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 23055431.
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 of service connection for a heart disability and hypertension due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors. The AOJ is required to obtain addendum medical opinions regarding toxic exposure risk activities (TERA).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for GERD is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and correction of duty to assist errors.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that additional medical opinions are needed to address the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions, particularly regarding his shoulder disorders and nasal surgeries. The claims for service connection have been remanded.
- Granted
The Board has restored service connection for Ischemic Heart Disease, Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Diabetes Mellitus type II, Chronic Kidney Disease, Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy of the lower left extremity sciatic nerve, Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy of the lower right extremity sciatic nerve, and Hypertension. The Board found that the original grant of service connection was not clearly erroneous due to the Veteran's exposure along the DMZ in Korea.
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