The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertensive vascular disease and thyroid disorder have been denied as there is no competent evidence linking these conditions to his military service.,For the hearing loss claim, an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent has also been denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's medical records do not show any in-service events or injuries that could be related to his current hypertensive vascular disease and thyroid disorder. There is no evidence of continuous symptoms after service separation, nor does the Veteran provide a credible explanation for how these conditions may have been caused by military service.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertensive vascular disease, thyroid disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 3, 2019
- Citation
- 19100078
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,863 · Granted: 26% (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 19100078.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hypertensive vascular disease, concussion, diabetes mellitus, seizure disability, bilateral pes planus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (alcohol use disorder in sustained remission and PTSD). The effective date for hypertension was denied as the Veteran's claim was received within one year of the PACT Act.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal involves multiple service-connected and non-service-connected conditions, with some issues being remanded for further evaluation. The primary issue is the need to determine if additional evaluations are warranted for various disabilities.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted a TDIU based on his combined service-connected disabilities, including back disability, migraines, and depression. The decision finds the Veteran unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal of service connection for hypertensive vascular disease due to untimely filing. The 20% rating for back disability was reinstated, but the appeal for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability is remanded.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
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.