The Veteran's claim of service connection for excessive weight gain has been reopened. Service connection is granted for chronic headaches, but denied for spine condition, swelling of joints, acquired psychiatric disorder, stomach problems, and bowel problems.
The deciding factor: New evidence provided by the Veteran, including a potential diagnosis of elephantiasis of the lower extremities, triggered VA's duty to assist in providing a new VA examination which supported granting service connection for chronic headaches.
- Claimed conditions
- excessive weight gain, spine condition, chronic headaches, swelling of joints, acquired psychiatric disorder, stomach problems, bowel problems
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 10, 2018
- Citation
- 18125781
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 18125781.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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 case for additional development regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection on the merits are being remanded due to new evidence and development needs. The maximum disability rating for tinnitus has already been assigned.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for headaches, right hip disorder, left hip disorder, back disorder, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to a failure to provide notice regarding the Veteran's right to a hearing.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for an addendum opinion regarding the nature and etiology of his unspecified neurocognitive disorder, which was diagnosed after a September 2021 heart surgery. The issues are about service connection on the merits.
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