The Board has granted the Veteran's request to readjudicate his claim for service connection for hypothyroidism, finding that new and relevant evidence supports a link between his in-service exposure to AFFF and PFAS and his current condition. The Board also found that the Veteran's current hypothyroidism is at least as likely as not related to these exposures.
The deciding factor: The private examiner opined that the Veteran's in-service chemical exposures contributed to the development of his thyroid disease, citing strong correlations between AFFF and PFAS exposure and thyroid disease.
- Claimed conditions
- hypothyroidism
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 24, 2024
- Citation
- A24068834
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 869 · Granted: 44% (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 A24068834.
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 Veteran's initial compensable evaluation for hypothyroidism is denied, and the Board finds that service connection for lumbar degenerative disc disease and bilateral foot condition should be remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of hypothyroidism and therefore denied their claim for service connection.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus was dismissed. The Board granted service connection for hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's thyroiditis with complications, including depression, anxiety, insomnia, vitamin deficiencies, memory/cognitive impairment, unexplained arthralgias, fatigue, hair loss, and bradycardia.
- Granted
The appellant is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits, effective September 1, 2020.
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