The Board denied the petition to reopen entitlement to service connection for a skin disability, granted service connection for hypertension on a basis other than pursuant to the PACT Act, and denied service connection for a gum/dental disability. The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for PTSD and tinnitus were also denied.

The deciding factor: The evidence did not establish in-service symptoms or medical nexus necessary to substantiate the claim for a skin disability, but it probatively established that hypertension developed as a result of in-service exposure to herbicide agents regardless of any presumptive service connection provisions. The Veteran does not have a current gum/dental disability that qualifies for compensation purposes.

Claimed conditions

skin disability, hypertension, gum/dental disability, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and unspecified depressive disorder, tinnitus

How they argued it

Reopened with new and material evidence

Exposure basis

Agent Orange / herbicides

Rating assigned

None in this decision

Decision date

November 4, 2025

Citation

25013638

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