The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for inclusion body myositis, finding that there was no evidence of a link between his condition and in-service exposure to herbicide agents.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a finding of a nexus between the Veteran's IBM and his in-service herbicide exposure, as required by the three-element test for service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- inclusion body myositis (IBM)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 18, 2025
- Citation
- A25035911
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 882 · Granted: 22% (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 A25035911.
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.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of inclusion body myositis (IBM) in both upper and lower extremities due to a withdrawal request from the appellant.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for inclusion body myositis, finding that the evidence supports a relationship between the condition and active-duty service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for inclusion body myositis (IBM) based on the Veteran's in-service exposure to trichloroethylene (TCE).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the service connection claim for inclusion body myositis to obtain an adequate medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's condition and potential toxic exposures during service.
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.