The Board has determined that the Veteran's left inguinal hernia disorder is not causally or etiologically related to his active military service. The issues of entitlement to service connection for a back disorder and right knee disorder, as well as an initial increased rating in excess of 10 percent for the period prior to February 3, 2015, and in excess of 20 percent for the period from February 3, 2015, forward for a left clavicle disability are addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision below.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that there was no evidence of any ongoing complaints or diagnoses related to the Veteran's back and right knee disabilities during service. The examiner also noted that there is no documentation available regarding these conditions from service records, making it impossible to establish a nexus between his current disabilities and military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Left inguinal hernia disorder, Back disorder, Right knee disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 19, 2017
- Citation
- 1758829
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 1758829.
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 claims for service connection and TDIU due to duty to assist errors that occurred prior to the rating decision on appeal. The Veteran's right knee disorder is being remanded for an addendum opinion regarding its etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to an error in notifying the Veteran of his right to a hearing, and not because of any issues with service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a right knee disorder and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to insufficient evidence in the record.
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