The Board finds that the Veteran's bowel and bladder disabilities are not related to his service-connected degenerative changes of the thoracolumbar spine. The November 2012 VA examiner opined that it is less likely as not that these conditions were either caused (in whole or in part) or aggravated by his service-connected lumbar spine disability.
The deciding factor: The November 2012 VA examiner's opinion was based on the lack of diagnosis and treatment for bowel and bladder disabilities, but there are records documenting such issues. The Board finds this reasoning insufficient to determine a relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's service-connected condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Bowel disability, Bladder disability
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 31, 2013
- Citation
- 1334982
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 1334982.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a bladder disability but denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and a depressive disorder.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a bladder disability, gynecological condition, right ankle disability, and lower back disability as these conditions are not related to an in-service injury, disease, or event.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal was denied for an earlier effective date prior to November 14, 2023, for the grant of a 70 percent rating for PTSD. The issues related to initial ratings and service connection were remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including a bladder disability, PTSD, and tinnitus, rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation from September 6, 2016 to March 21, 2024.
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