The Board granted service connection for multiple heart disabilities, diabetes mellitus, type II, hypothyroidism, bladder cancer, hypertension, diabetic nephropathy, peripheral neuropathies, bilateral non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, and erectile dysfunction based on the Veteran's exposure to herbicides in Korea.
The deciding factor: The Board found credible evidence that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during his service near the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and granted service connection for the claimed conditions under the presumption of herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- Ischemic heart disease, Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, Coronary artery disease s/p coronary artery bypass graft surgery, Ischemic cardiomyopathy with heart failure, Ventricular tachycardia, Diabetes mellitus, type II, Hypothyroidism, Bladder cancer, Hypertension, Diabetic nephropathy (claimed as kidney disease), Peripheral neuropathy, right upper extremity, Peripheral neuropathy, left upper extremity, Peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity, Peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity, Bilateral non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, Erectile dysfunction, Chest scar, Right leg scars
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 30, 2024
- Citation
- A24070185
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 140 · Granted: 18% (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 A24070185.
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 claim for an initial rating of 30 percent prior to July 18, 2014, and a higher than 60 percent rating thereafter for ischemic heart disease is being remanded due to incomplete evidence. The examiner needs to provide more detailed information about the severity of his service-connected condition.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy in both upper extremities and the TDIU claim prior to July 12, 2011. The Veteran's disabilities alone did not render him unemployable at that time.
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