The Veteran's intermittent dyspepsia with altered bowel movements is granted as an undiagnosed illness.,Service connection for nummular dermatitis is granted.,Service connection for unspecified depressive disorder is granted.,Service connection for inguinal hernia, to include as secondary to intermittent dyspepsia with altered bowel movements, is remanded.
The deciding factor: The weight of evidence shows that the Veteran has intermittent dyspepsia with altered bowel movements manifested by frequent episodes of bowel disturbance with abdominal distress. The examiner noted that the Veteran had frequent episodes of bowel disturbance with abdominal distress, warranting a 10 percent disability rating under the applicable diagnostic code.,A September 2018 VA examination report reveals a diagnosis of nummular dermatitis. Therefore, Hickson element (1), current disability, is established. The examiner noted that the Veteran reported that his skin symptomatology began after numerous sand flea bites in Saudi Arabia.,Regarding Hickson element (3), medical nexus, the August 2018 VA examiner stated that it was at least as likely as not that the unspecified depressive disorder was related to service. As there are no contrary medical opinions of record, the weight of evidence shows that the Veteran’s skin disorder is related to active service.,The September 2018 VA examination report does not provide an adequate rationale regarding whether the Veteran's inguinal hernia is caused or aggravated by his now-service-connected intermittent dyspepsia with altered bowel movements. The medical opinion addressed causation but not aggravation.
- Claimed conditions
- intermittent dyspepsia with altered bowel movements, nummular dermatitis, unspecified depressive disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- November 26, 2019
- Citation
- A19003109
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,272 · Granted: 31% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A19003109.
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
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- Denied
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- Partly granted
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