The Veteran's disability manifested by fatigue, joint pain, gastrointestinal bleeding, headaches, shortness of breath, nausea, body shakes, and diarrhea is not shown to meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 40 percent. The appeal period began one year prior to the date VA received the claim for an increased rating.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms do not nearly constant and restrict routine daily activities to less than 50 percent of his pre-illness level, as determined by multiple VA examiners.
- Claimed conditions
- Fatigue, Joint Pain, Gastrointestinal Bleeding, Headaches, Shortness of Breath, Nausea, Body Shakes, Diarrhea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- January 23, 2019
- Citation
- 19105609
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 disabilities, including an acquired psychiatric disability, headaches, a back disability, heart disability, and residuals of a stroke, as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's active service or caused by his service-connected left ear disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for insomnia, fatigue, gallstones, varicose veins, anemia, colitis, and PTSD due to a lack of evidence supporting the claims.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeal in September 2025, stating that she is now 100% permanently and totally disabled effective April 29, 2025.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a disability rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD with TBI and a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for headaches as secondary to PTSD with TBI due to a duty to assist error.
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