The Board denied service connection for syncope, finding no current disability and insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the Veteran's in-service collapse due to heat exposure and her current condition.
The deciding factor: There is conflicting evidence regarding whether the Veteran served in the Persian Gulf theater of operations. The weight of the evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran has a current disability manifested by syncope, or any continuity of symptomatology since service.
- Claimed conditions
- syncope
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 24, 2014
- Citation
- 1412346
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 1412346.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the issues of chest pain, ear condition, vaginosis, syncope, thyroid condition, and jaw condition have been dismissed due to non-jurisdictional procedural defects. The Board has also remanded the claims for service connection on the issues of occipital neuralgia, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) for further development.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for right finger amputations and denied increased ratings for a back disability and syncope, finding that the evidence does not support a conclusion that these conditions are secondary to the Veteran's service-connected syncope.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including epilepsy, prostate cancer, and lumbar DDD, necessitate the need for regular aid and attendance from his spouse. The Board has granted SMC based on this need.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's heat exhaustion, including its residuals, is related to his active service and grants service connection for this 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.