The Board granted earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection for various conditions and eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance based on the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Thailand.
The deciding factor: The evidence supports that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents, allowing for an earlier effective date under the PACT Act.
- Claimed conditions
- coronary artery disease status post coronary artery bypass graft, chest scars associated with coronary artery disease status post coronary artery bypass graft, left lower extremity paresis with muscle weakness, left upper extremity paresis with muscle weakness, swallowing difficulty
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 8, 2025
- Citation
- A25087285
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 785 · Granted: 47% (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 A25087285.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for earlier effective dates and increased ratings has been withdrawn by the Veteran's attorney, resulting in the dismissal of the appeal.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 7, 2020, for the grant of service connection for multiple sclerosis with sleep apnea and related residuals.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew his appeals for earlier effective dates and increased ratings, resulting in the dismissal of all claims.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction but remanded claims related to ulcerations secondary to DMII, total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU), and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits.
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