The Veteran's bilateral inguinal hernia disability is not service-connected as there was no evidence of a pre-existing condition during service and the current condition did not manifest until after discharge. The other issues were either not addressed or are not supported by sufficient evidence.
The deciding factor: There is no clear evidence that the Veteran had an existing inguinal hernia at the time of his entrance into service, nor was there any indication of a pre-existing condition during service. The current bilateral inguinal hernias did not manifest until after discharge from service and are not shown to be related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Pneumonia, Strabismus and Presbyopia, High glucose in the blood, Tobacco use, Alcohol consumption, Bilateral hearing loss, Cracked tooth, Glaucoma, Limb movement disorder (left arm), Cervical strain, Residuals of a right ankle sprain, Acromioclavicular joint separation of the right shoulder, Exotosis of the left distal clavicle, Recurrent chest pain/costochondritis, Loss of sense of smell, Loss of sense of taste, Genital herpes, Genital warts, Bilateral inguinal hernia disability, Hypertension, Scarring on the left kidney, post left urethral reimplantation, Fecal incontinence, Benign prostatic hypertrophy (prostate), Degenerative joint disease of the left knee, Degenerative joint disease of the right knee, Non-scar residuals of a giant cell tumor of the left great toe tendon sheath, Chronic rhinosinusitis
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 31, 2013
- Citation
- 1317717
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1317717.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and has remanded the issue of an increased rating for skin condition.
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