The Veteran's digestive disability is manifested by diarrhea, occasional involuntary bowel movements necessitating the wearing of a pad or other absorbent material, and near constant abdominal distress but does not meet the criteria for an evaluation in excess of 30 percent.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms do not warrant a higher rating as his disability is characterized by intermittent bowel issues without extensive leakage or frequent involuntary bowel movements.
- Claimed conditions
- Digestive Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- February 21, 2012
- Citation
- 1206354
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 1206354.
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 has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions provided in previous examinations and evaluations. The issues include psychiatric disability, sleep apnea, headaches (including as a residual of TBI), digestive disability, and respiratory disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case for further development and an examination, as there is potential evidence of a relationship between the Veteran's service or service-connected disability and his digestive disability.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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.