The Board denied service connection for a thoracic spine disorder, bilateral foot disorder, and Pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB). The Board found no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions. For the thoracic spine disorder, the VA examiner concluded it was less likely than not caused by active duty service. For the bilateral foot disorder, there were no documented complaints or diagnoses during service. For PFB, the Veteran's current condition did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the evidence did not support a direct service connection for any of the conditions due to lack of in-service injury or disease and insufficient medical nexus opinions.
- Claimed conditions
- Thoracic spine disorder, Bilateral foot disorder, Pseudofolliculitis barbae
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 18, 2018
- Citation
- 18111787
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 18111787.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his acquired psychiatric disorder is denied as the symptoms do not warrant a rating in excess of 30 percent.,The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae is denied as the condition affects less than 5% of his exposed and total body area.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to duty-to-assist errors and insufficient medical opinions. The issues include PTSD, neck disorder, back disorder, left-hand disorder, bilateral foot disorders, and bilateral knee disorders.
- Granted
The Veteran's low back disorder is granted service connection, and he is assigned a noncompensable initial disability rating for right hip dysplasia with limitation of adduction. The claim for bilateral foot disorder is denied.
- Denied
The Veteran's need for regular aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities has not been established, as he can use assistive devices to dress himself and maintain cleanliness of appearance.
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