The Board granted service connection for right shoulder arthritis, left shoulder arthritis, left wrist arthritis, left foot arthritis, and heart disability, to include coronary artery disease (CAD), as the evidence was approximately evenly balanced in favor of the Veteran. The claims for diabetes mellitus and kidney disability were remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: The Board resolved reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran based on credible lay statements regarding continuous symptoms since service and medical literature supporting a link between asbestos exposure and cardiovascular disease, as well as the lack of a definitive negative nexus opinion for the claims that were granted.
- Claimed conditions
- right shoulder arthritis, left shoulder arthritis, left wrist arthritis, left foot arthritis, heart disability, to include coronary artery disease (CAD), diabetes mellitus, to include as secondary to service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with obesity as an intermediate step, kidney disability, to include as secondary to diabetes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 18, 2025
- Citation
- 25008149
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,604 · Granted: 65% (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 25008149.
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 November 2018 notice of disagreement was timely, and the appeal is remanded for further review.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and dismissed all other appeals related to various joint conditions.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals for all claims of service connection, including those for bilateral flat feet, thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis, cervical spine degenerative arthritis, right CTS, left CTS, essential tremors, right ankle arthritis, right shoulder arthritis, and left knee arthritis. The appeal of sleep apnea was granted in a July 2024 rating decision.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on need for aid and attendance or housebound status.
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.