The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including joint condition, muscle condition, fatigue/weakness, hives, insomnia, asthma, sleep apnea, cerebrovascular accident (CVA), headaches, obsessive compulsive disorder, and depressive disorder, all claimed as due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service treatment records did not show any complaints or treatment for the conditions. The Board found that none of the Veteran’s claimed conditions are included in the list of presumptive diseases under 38 C.F.R. § 3.309(f) regarding contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, and thus could not establish service connection based on this presumption.
- Claimed conditions
- joint condition, muscle condition, fatigue/ weakness, hives, insomnia, asthma, sleep apnea, cerebrovascular accident (CVA), headaches, obsessive compulsive (OCD), depressive disorder
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19100615
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 various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease, and no competent evidence linking the condition to service.
- Granted
The Veteran was granted a 70 percent disability rating for unspecified trauma and stressor-related disorder with major depressive disorder, recurrent, and alcohol use disorder in early remission, as well as TDIU due to asthma and SMC at the housebound rate.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for headaches and increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, hypertension, and left and right leg restless leg syndrome. The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.
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.