The Board granted service connection for left lower extremity neuropathy, right lower extremity neuropathy, erectile dysfunction, a skin disability diagnosed as dermatitis, and COPD, all secondary to in-service exposure to toxins including herbicides. The initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence is at least in approximate balance that the Veteran's disabilities are causally related to in-service exposure to toxins, which includes vapor from jet fuels and herbicide agents in Thailand.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral hearing loss, Left lower extremity neuropathy, Right lower extremity neuropathy, Erectile dysfunction (ED), Skin disability, diagnosed as dermatitis (originally claimed as 'jungle legs'), Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 22, 2025
- Citation
- A25091267
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,329 · Granted: 31% (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 A25091267.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking his myocardial infarction and COPD to his military service.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for bladder cancer, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as there is no evidence to support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
- 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.
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