The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection for various conditions, including coronary artery disease and Parkinson's disease, as there was no evidence of direct or presumed exposure to herbicide agents prior to the enactment of the PACT Act on August 10, 2022.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his service in Guam, and thus, an earlier effective date for service connection could not be granted under the direct or presumed exposure theories.
- Claimed conditions
- Coronary artery disease status post CABG with bradycardia, Linear left upper extremity scar, Sternal scar, Parkinson's disease with incontinence, Depression with cognitive impairment and sleep disturbance, Loss of automatic movement, right, Left lower extremity, balance impairment, bradykinesia, tremors and muscle rigidity, Erectile dysfunction, Difficulty chewing, right side, Stooped posture, Difficulty chewing, left side, Complete loss of sense of smell, Loss of automatic movement, left, Right upper extremity, bradykinesia, tremors and muscle rigidity, Left upper extremity, balance impairment, bradykinesia, tremors and muscle rigidity, Right lower extremity, balance impairment, bradykinesia, tremors and muscle rigidity, Speech changes, Constipation
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 13, 2025
- Citation
- A25023426
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of May 29, 2019 for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder but denied earlier effective dates and increased ratings for other conditions.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of April 5, 2018, for the award of service connection for PTSD and denied earlier effective dates for erectile dysfunction, left ear hearing loss, migraines, and other conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, bilateral tinnitus, sleep disorder, erectile dysfunction, and right eye injury as new and relevant evidence was not received to readjudicate these claims.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for erectile dysfunction and remanded the claims for a sleep disorder and headaches to ensure proper development of evidence.
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