The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including coronary artery disease, left leg amputation, peripheral neuropathies in both upper and lower extremities, vocal cord paralysis, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to service or a service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that there was insufficient competent medical evidence to establish a link between the Veteran's current disabilities and his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- coronary artery disease, left leg amputation (also claimed as impaired gait), left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, vocal cord paralysis, an acquired psychiatric disorder to include anxiety and depression
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 22, 2019
- Citation
- A19002134
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 appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for left and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, finding that the conditions are related to Agent Orange exposure during the Veteran's service in Vietnam.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, type II, left eye diabetic retinopathy, left foot diabetic peripheral neuropathy, right foot diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and coronary artery disease, as well as the Veteran's cause of death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for coronary artery disease to correct duty to assist errors, as there are no adequate medical opinions of record.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.