The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including arthritis and paralysis from the chest down, prostate and bladder disorders, blood disorder, lung disorder (including emphysema and COPD), hepatitis C, heart disorder, and Meniere's disease. The decision found that these conditions were not related to service or herbicide exposure.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that there was no evidence linking the Veteran’s conditions to his military service or herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- Arthritis, Paralysis from the chest down, Prostate and bladder disorders, Blood disorder, Lung disorder (including emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Hepatitis C, Heart disorder, Meniere's disease
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 4, 2015
- Citation
- 1538086
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 1538086.
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 a compensable initial rating for Hepatitis C, finding that the Veteran's condition was asymptomatic and did not meet the criteria for any higher rating.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed all appeals for service connection and increased rating claims due to untimely Notice of Disagreement submissions.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings in excess of 30 percent for peripheral vestibular disorders (Meniere's disease) and unspecified somatic symptom and related disorder have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of the claims prior to a decision being made.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's Hepatitis C with cirrhosis is related to service, and therefore grants service connection for these conditions.
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.