The Board found that there is no adequate basis in the record to find a nexus between any current Lyme disease and the veteran's military service.
The deciding factor: The VA examination reports concluded that it is not as likely as not that the veteran's problems are or were due to Lyme disease contracted while serving in the military, despite some positive PCR test results from private doctors.
- Claimed conditions
- Lyme disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 16, 2008
- Citation
- 0812572
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial 60 percent rating for coronary artery disease (CAD), status post myocardial infarction, and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) effective May 27, 2021.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a compensable rating for service-connected Lyme disease, TDIU, and SMC based on housebound status due to errors in the previous decision.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection and special monthly compensation, as well as DEA benefits, due to no evidence of a claim being filed within one year of separation from service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, obesity, and multiple nerve and skin disorders, as well as denied initial compensable ratings for several disabilities.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.