The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right inguinal hernia and scar, status post hernia repair as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions during the pendency of the appeal. The Board also found that service connection could not be granted on a direct basis due to lack of evidence showing the conditions were incurred in service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not have a current right inguinal hernia or scar at the time of his VA examination, and there was no medical evidence linking these conditions to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Right inguinal hernia, Scar, status post hernia repair
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19126188
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, right inguinal hernia, non allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), while granting service connection for left knee strain and left leg shin splints.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matters for the AOJ to provide the Veteran with notice of his right to a pre-decisional hearing before the AOJ.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease with intervertebral disc syndrome of the lumbar spine, right and left lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to DDD with IVDS, erectile dysfunction as secondary to DDD with IVDS, and special monthly compensation based on loss of use of a creative organ. The appeal was denied for service connection for depression and anxiety, obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, hypothyroidism, left lower extremity deep vein thrombosis, right and left lower extremity peripheral edema, and inguinal hernias.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's right inguinal hernia and granted a separate 10 percent rating for a painful scar, status post right inguinal hernia repair from December 12, 2018. The tinnitus claim was remanded.
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