The Board denied service connection for blastomycosis and right thumb and wrist disability, finding that the Veteran's blastomycosis was not incurred or aggravated in service due to lack of evidence linking it to herbicide exposure. The right thumb and wrist disability claim is considered direct service connection as there is no indication of pre-existing condition noted at entry into service.
The deciding factor: The medical records do not show any pre-service diagnosis of blastomycosis, and the Veteran's current blastomycosis was diagnosed long after service. There is also insufficient evidence to support a finding that herbicide exposure caused his current condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Blastomycosis, Right Thumb and Wrist Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 6, 2014
- Citation
- 1400216
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 1400216.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of death due to respiratory failure, blastomycosis, lung cancer, atrial fibrillation, and DVT. The Veteran's service-connected rheumatic heart disease was not found to be a material or contributory cause of his death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board is remanding the case to obtain an adequate medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected rheumatic heart disease with residuals of rheumatic valvulitis and mitral incompetency contributed to his death, specifically in relation to blastomycosis that he developed during active duty. The opinion must address whether the blastomycosis had its onset in or was otherwise related to his military service.
- Granted
The Board has granted increased evaluations for the veteran's service-connected conditions, including diabetes mellitus, degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, left wrist DJD, right knee DJD, blastomycosis, and peptic ulcer disease with hiatal hernia and esophageal reflux.
- 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.
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.