The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for cerebellar ataxia, finding that it was not incurred or aggravated by his military service and could not be presumed to have been caused by exposure to Agent Orange. The Board also found no medical evidence linking the seizure he experienced in service to his current condition.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's cerebellar ataxia is not shown to be related to his military service, including a single seizure during service, and there is no evidence of any link between his exposure to Agent Orange and his condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Cerebellar Ataxia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 31, 2011
- Citation
- 1132152
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 1132152.
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 Veteran's Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) is determined to be related to his exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune during service, and the claim for service connection is granted.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for cerebellar ataxia as secondary to seizures, but denied the reopening of the claim for generalized musculoskeletal pain.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for cerebellar dysfunction, diagnosed as OPCA and cerebellar ataxia, has been reopened. The evidence is now sufficient to support the claim of service connection.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection for cerebellar ataxia and an acquired psychiatric disorder (adjustment disorder with depressed and anxious mood) is granted as secondary to exposure to Agent Orange during his military service.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
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.