The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including epicondylitis of the left elbow, right shoulder tendonitis, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, a left Achilles tendon rupture, mild fibrosis of the lung, residuals of cholecystectomy (gall bladder removal), Crohn's disease (irritable bowel syndrome), residuals of an emergency internal hemorrhoidectomy, colon cancer with polyp, and residuals of bile duct surgery. The Board found no evidence to support service connection for these conditions.,The Veteran claimed his conditions were due to radiation exposure during service, but the VA did not find any credible evidence supporting this claim.
The deciding factor: There was no credible evidence linking the Veteran's current conditions to his military service or to radiation exposure during service.
- Claimed conditions
- epicondylitis, left elbow, right shoulder tendonitis, degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine, left Achilles tendon rupture, mild fibrosis of the lung, residuals of cholecystectomy (gall bladder removal), Crohn's disease (irritable bowel syndrome), residuals of an emergency internal hemorrhoidectomy, colon cancer with polyp, residuals of bile duct surgery, migraine headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 9, 2018
- Citation
- 18149181
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 18149181.
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 has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to incomplete medical records and insufficient opinions regarding the relationship between service, including a stick injury in England, and current left eye disability (including amblyopia and cataracts) as well as migraine headaches.
- Granted
The Veteran's migraine headaches are productive of very frequent, completely prostrating and prolonged attacks capable of producing severe economic inadaptability. The Board has granted a 50 percent disability rating for the Veteran's service-connected migraine headaches.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected migraine headaches was granted with an effective date of February 28, 2023.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.