The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lung/respiratory disorder and for an increased rating for inguinal hernia repair. The decision also remanded the issue of service connection for a right knee disability.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support the presence of a current respiratory disability or any undiagnosed illness that could be attributed to Gulf War exposure, and there was no improvement in the Veteran's inguinal hernia repair condition as required by VA regulations for reduction of ratings.
- Claimed conditions
- left lung scar, inguinal hernia
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 9, 2019
- Citation
- A19000810
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 A19000810.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for an inguinal hernia and remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, a skin condition, suspicious nevus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for hernia, other than hiatal, specifically ventral, inguinal, and umbilical hernias, finding that the Veteran's obesity, caused by his service-connected disabilities, was a substantial factor in causing these hernias.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for lower back sprain, heart disease, cervical spine disorder, inguinal hernia, work stress (high anxiety), basal cell carcinoma of the nose, glaucoma, high blood pressure, digestive disorder, and hearing loss as there was no evidence of a current disability or an in-service event, injury, or illness related to these conditions.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death while it was pending.
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.