The Board has granted service connection for Lyme disease and chronic fatigue syndrome, finding that the Veteran's symptoms began in service and resolving reasonable doubt in his favor.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence supports a finding of onset of symptoms during service and continued presence post-service, with no clear indication of pre-existing conditions or other etiologies.
- Claimed conditions
- Lyme disease, chronic fatigue syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 6, 2019
- Citation
- A19003372
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 793 · Granted: 28% (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 A19003372.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Granted
The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of service connection for a back disability, endometriosis, thyroid condition, and chronic fatigue syndrome due to new evidence submitted since the last final denial. The claims are now considered on their merits.
- Granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, IBS with GERD, and OSA were denied. The claim for OSA was granted due to the receipt of new evidence showing a current disability.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and a right knee disorder. The evidence did not meet the criteria for direct service connection as there was no in-service diagnosis or continuity of symptomatology.
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