The Veteran's claim of service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, a left knee disability, bilateral otitis media, a disability manifested by Eustachian tube dysfunction, and residuals of dengue fever has been denied. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence does not support finding etiological links between these disabilities and active service.,The Veteran's current left knee disability is not related to active service.
The deciding factor: There is no credible evidence showing a link between any of the claimed conditions and active service, including during or following periods of Southwest Asia theater operations in the Persian Gulf War and support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.,The Veteran does not experience current disability due to his claimed left knee disability.
- Claimed conditions
- irritable bowel syndrome, left knee disability, bilateral otitis media, disability manifested by Eustachian tube dysfunction, residuals of dengue fever
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19101045
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 multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities to the AOJ for further development and consideration of evidence not previously considered.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right knee, right hip, and lumbar spine disabilities as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability but denied a rating in excess of 30 percent for his left knee disability prior to April 25, 2019.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple disabilities, including cervical spine and thoracolumbar spine disabilities, radiculopathies, a bladder disability, headaches, a left knee disability, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and bilateral conjunctivitis. The Board also granted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability.
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