The Veteran's claims for service connection for swelling of the upper extremities and claustrophobia have been denied. The increased rating claim for hypertension has also been denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's symptoms are related to his military service, particularly as there is no indication of any in-service injury or exposure that could be linked to these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Swelling of upper extremities, Claustrophobia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 23, 2018
- Citation
- 1810996
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 1810996.
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 remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and claustrophobia, due to a need for proper notice regarding in-service assault and a VA examination.
- Granted
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD with claustrophobia and anxiety, was related to his active service. Service connection for this condition is granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error, requiring additional development and examination for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and various depressive disorders. The VA examiner is to review the medical records, consider the Veteran's contentions about in-service trauma, and provide a new opinion on whether these conditions are related to his military service.
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