The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found no evidence of a current hip disability, and the dry eye syndrome was not rated as it did not meet the criteria for any specific rating.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners concluded that there is no diagnosed hip disability in the Veteran’s medical records, and his claimed bilateral hip pain does not constitute a current disability under VA compensation rules.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hip pain, diarrhea, gastrointestinal disorder, herniation of cervical C5-C6, muscle/joint pain, rash/hives all over body
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 25, 2018
- Citation
- 18121097
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 18121097.
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.
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The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and a new medical opinion is needed regarding whether the Veteran's gastrointestinal or esophageal disability was caused or aggravated by service or any related conditions.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for increased rating of PTSD, service connection for right elbow disability, muscle/joint pain, and chronic fatigue have been dismissed due to his withdrawal at a January 2025 Board hearing.,Service connection has been granted for IBS on a presumptive basis as a qualifying chronic disability under the Gulf War category.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination reports and internal inconsistencies in the previous VA examinations. The Veteran's gastrointestinal symptoms, including IBS, constipation, diarrhea, and hemorrhoids, need further evaluation.
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