The application to reopen a previously denied claim for service connection for a low back condition was denied. Service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity and Hepatitis C were also denied, while service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity is remanded.
The deciding factor: Service connection cannot be granted as there is no evidence of early onset peripheral neuropathy within one year of in-service herbicide exposure or secondary to a service-connected condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Low back condition, Peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, Peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, Hepatitis C
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 25, 2019
- Citation
- 19106055
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,456 · Granted: 23% (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 19106055.
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 a compensable initial rating for Hepatitis C, finding that the Veteran's condition was asymptomatic and did not meet the criteria for any higher rating.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a low back condition and right shoulder rotator cuff strain, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to his military service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for a low back condition and an acquired psychiatric disability are dismissed as procedural defects due to the overlapping nature of the appeals.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's Hepatitis C with cirrhosis is related to service, and therefore grants service connection for these conditions.
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