The Board found that the veteran did not engage in combat and thus could not establish service connection for PTSD. The claim for malaria was denied as there is no credible supporting evidence of a current diagnosis or occurrence during service. Service connection for hearing loss was denied due to lack of audiometric findings meeting criteria for disability, and the skin condition claim was denied because it lacks a link between Agent Orange exposure and current symptoms.
The deciding factor: The veteran did not engage in combat with the enemy, making his PTSD stressor allegations insufficient to establish service connection. There is no credible supporting evidence of malaria or its residuals during service. The audiometric findings do not meet criteria for hearing loss disability. The skin condition claim lacks a link between Agent Orange exposure and current symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- post-traumatic_stress_disorder, malaria, hearing_loss, skin_condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 28, 2000
- Citation
- 0017033
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 0017033.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted an increased disability evaluation of 100 percent for service-connected malaria, finding the evidence to be in approximate equipoise as to whether the Veteran's malaria was active during the appeal period.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for malaria, including residuals, as there is no current diagnosis of malaria or residuals.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable evaluation for malaria as there was no evidence of active malaria or any current residuals affecting a bodily system.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for cold spells and an eye disability (glaucoma suspect and pigment dispersion) related to the Veteran's service, but denied a compensable rating for malaria.
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.