The Board granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and coronary artery disease associated with herbicide agent exposure. Bilateral hearing loss was denied.
The deciding factor: Service connection is warranted based on the Veteran's in-service exposure to herbicide agents and the current diagnosis of coronary artery disease, as well as the evidence supporting a causal relationship between the lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral hearing loss, Coronary artery disease associated with herbicide agent exposure, Left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy claimed as a result of herbicide agent exposure, Left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy claimed as a result of herbicide agent exposure, Lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, Recurrent degenerative bone disease to include osteopenia, Recurrent prostate disability to include benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and an elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, claimed as the result of herbicide agent exposure, Recurrent respiratory disability, other than laryngeal cancer residuals including chronic laryngitis, Recurrent skin disability to include a rash and scars of the shoulders, the back, and the buttocks and boils, Right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy claimed as a result of herbicide agent exposure
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 25, 2025
- Citation
- A25102097
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 918 · Granted: 32% (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 A25102097.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeals of the initial ratings for his service-connected chronic cough and bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to procedural errors in the evidentiary record.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes planus with hammer toes, hallux valgus and degenerative arthritis, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral kidney cysts, rendered him unable to secure or follow gainful employment. The Board granted the TDIU based on these conditions.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus) do not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.
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