The Board denied service connection for a gastrointestinal disorder and Bell's Palsy, finding that the Veteran did not present clear and unmistakable evidence of pre-existing conditions or show an increase in severity during service.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support the claim as the symptoms were temporary flare-ups rather than chronic worsening.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastrointestinal Disorder, Bell's Palsy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 16, 2019
- Citation
- 19103885
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.
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The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining additional VA examinations to determine the current level of severity of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.
- Partly granted
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- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for Bell's Palsy, bilateral hearing loss, contact dermatitis, migraines, and right lower extremity sciatica due to a lack of new and relevant evidence.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a right ankle disorder and a gastrointestinal disorder, as the evidence did not support current diagnoses or functional impairments related to these conditions during or approximate to the pendency of the claims.
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