The Board found that the Veteran's diagnosed disabilities have clear and specific etiologies, and thus do not meet the criteria for service connection related to an undiagnosed illness or Gulf War syndrome.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran’s symptoms are attributable to his diagnosed conditions rather than any environmental exposure during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Multiple myeloma, Low back pain from L1-L3 injury, Hypertension, Dyslipidemia, Neuropathy, Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Diabetes mellitus type II, B-12 deficiency, Hypothyroidism, Collapsed vertebra, Obstructive sleep apnea, Obesity, Snoring, Presbyopia, Low back pain, Major depression, Secondary neoplasm of bone, Cervicalgia, Anemia, Cervical spine fusion, Dermatitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 26, 2019
- Citation
- A19003136
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 A19003136.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for PTSD, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor and finding that his PTSD is related to an in-service military sexual trauma (MST) during a period of ACDUTRA.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and hypertension, to include as secondary to left orchiectomy, for further development in accordance with the PACT Act.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of May 17, 2019, for a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD but denied earlier effective dates for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Partly granted
The Board granted readjudication of previously denied claims for service connection for PTSD and COPD, while remanding other issues including entitlement to service connection for an eye disorder, hypertension, tinnitus, a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, TDIU, and an initial rating for PTSD.
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.