The Board denied service connection for coronary artery disease, diabetes, and bilateral pes planus due to lack of evidence supporting the Veteran's claims. The Board found insufficient evidence of exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam or any other event, injury, or disease related to these conditions during service.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that there was no credible evidence linking the Veteran’s current conditions to his military service, including a lack of documented service in the Republic of Vietnam and negative STRs for symptoms related to these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- coronary artery disease (CAD), diabetes mellitus, bilateral pes planus
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 3, 2019
- Citation
- A19000258
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, hypertension, and various musculoskeletal and skin disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for hypertension and diabetes mellitus to obtain further medical opinions regarding their potential relationship to toxic exposures during active service.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for left foot bursitis and coronary artery disease, as well as special monthly compensation based on housebound status.
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