The Board granted service connection for right and left lower extremity edema, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions are related to in-service herbicide agent exposure.
The deciding factor: The reasonable doubt created by this relative equipoise in the evidence must be resolved in favor of the Veteran, given his service in Vietnam and presumed exposure to herbicide agents.
- Claimed conditions
- left lower extremity edema, right lower extremity edema
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 18, 2025
- Citation
- A25053405
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 A25053405.
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.
- Partly granted
The veteran's claims for service connection for several conditions, including low back disability and diabetes mellitus, type II, were granted. The claim for rheumatic fever was remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for kidney disease, congestive heart failure, right lower extremity edema, left lower extremity edema, and a right knee disorder have been granted. The claim for service connection for kidney disease is denied due to lack of in-service injury or disease and no chronic symptoms after service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for right lower extremity edema has been withdrawn.,The Board has remanded the claims for impaired short-term memory loss, left lower extremity edema, left hip disability, left leg torn ligaments, left knee disability, and service-connected tendonitis of the left ankle.
- Dismissed
The appeal for the issues of service connection and increased evaluations is dismissed. The issue of TDIU remains pending.
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