The Board has denied service connection for PTSD, a cervical spine disability, a lower extremity disability, a skin disability, a sinus disability, headaches, heart disease, fibromyalgia, and a dental disability as there is no competent medical evidence showing that the Veteran's claimed disabilities are causally related to his active duty service or exposure to herbicides.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran did not have any verified in-service stressors for PTSD, and there was no competent medical evidence linking any of the other claimed disabilities to his military service or exposure to herbicides.
- Claimed conditions
- PTSD, Cervical spine disability, Lower extremity disability, Skin disability (to include as due to exposure to herbicides), Sinus disability (to include as due to exposure to herbicides), Headaches (to include as due to exposure to herbicides), Heart disease (to include as due to exposure to herbicides), Fibromyalgia (to include as due to exposure to herbicides), Dental disability (to include as due to exposure to herbicides)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 24, 2009
- Citation
- 0910829
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to ensure a proper examination and etiology opinion are provided.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, and somatic symptom disorder, as well as presumptive service connection for basal cell carcinoma under the PACT Act. Service connection was denied for chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, right restless leg syndrome, left restless leg syndrome, an increased rating for psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, a left forehead surgical scar, and allergic rhinitis.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, as the Veteran did not have a diagnosis of PTSD or any other psychiatric disorder during the appeal period.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, hypertension, and various musculoskeletal and skin disabilities.
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