The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that the evidence was not in equipoise and did not meet the criteria for service connection.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the evidence was not in equipoise regarding the etiology of the claimed conditions and thus did not meet the criteria for service connection under 38 C.F.R. § 3.303(b).
- Claimed conditions
- hepatitis-C infection, chronic abdominal disorder, residuals of a head injury/concussion, residuals of an eye injury/abrasion, residuals of a spider bite, chronic bilateral ankle disorder, chronic bilateral hip disorder, chronic bilateral shoulder disorder, chronic bilateral leg disorder, hypertension (also claimed as heart murmur), renal cysts in both kidneys, chronic respiratory disorder, right hand disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 8, 2014
- Citation
- 1400741
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 1400741.
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 case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing proper notice regarding secondary service connection.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for lumbosacral strain, asthma, melasma and hydradenitis, hypertension, an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as depression, anxiety, and stress), left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, left knee disorder, a left foot disorder, and IBS have been granted. The remaining issues are remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to errors in obtaining relevant medical records and authorization for private treatment providers. The issues include heart disorder, OSA, sinusitis, lumbar spine disorder, and right knee disorder all related to Agent Orange exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error, and will need an opinion regarding whether the Veteran's right knee disorder is related to his parachute jumps during service.
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