The Veteran was awarded service connection for high blood pressure and aphonia with hemorrhagic stroke as of August 10, 2022. The effective date for these awards is now set to December 5, 2016.,An earlier effective date of December 5, 2016, but no earlier, was granted for the award of service connection for high blood pressure and aphonia with hemorrhagic stroke.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's in-service exposure to herbicide agents caused his high blood pressure, which led to his hemorrhagic stroke. His medical records support this finding.
- Claimed conditions
- High Blood Pressure, Aphonia with Hemorrhagic Stroke
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 7, 2024
- Citation
- A24072821
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,676 · Granted: 24% (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 A24072821.
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a higher rating for ventral hernia has been withdrawn and dismissed. The appeals for service connection of heart condition, including atrial fibrillation (AFIB) and aortic regurgitation, and high blood pressure have been remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied an initial disability rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD and an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for high blood pressure, both for purposes of accrued benefits.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD and granted service connection for alcohol abuse disorder as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD, while remanding claims for service connection for asthma and high blood pressure.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome was granted, but the appeals for diabetes mellitus II, high blood pressure, and Schatzki's ring esophagus were denied. The veteran's late appeal request was not accepted due to untimeliness.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.