The Veteran served in Vietnam, but the appellant does not have spina bifida or any other disability resulting from it. The claim is denied as there are no forms of spina bifida that qualify for benefits under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 18.
The deciding factor: The appellant's condition (Hirschsprung's disease) is not covered by the provisions of 38 U.S.C. Chapter 18, which only allows benefits for children of Vietnam veterans with spina bifida.
- Claimed conditions
- Hirschsprung's disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 2, 2018
- Citation
- 1800011
Veterans Law Judge
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 1800011.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The appellant is seeking benefits for disability due to Hirschsprung's disease. However, the evidence does not show that her mother had active military service in Vietnam during the specified period, which is required for eligibility under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1815.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the evidence received since the August 1980 rating decision does not constitute new and material evidence to reopen the Veteran's claim of service connection for Hirschsprung's disease.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining records from Miriam Hospital and determining whether the appellant's claim may be granted.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) as not well-grounded due to a lack of competent medical evidence linking GERD to his service.
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