The Board denied service connection for diverticulitis, finding that the Veteran's current disability was not incurred in or related to service and is not secondary to his service-connected GERD.,The Board granted service connection for left ankle sprain with arthropathy and instability, finding it related to service.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence of a chronic diverticulitis disability during service. The earliest post-service evidence of diverticulitis was in February 2006, more than one year after service separation.,The June 1989 service treatment record noted complaints of bilateral ankle pain and pronation of the ankles, which is related to current bilateral ankle disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- {"condition_name":"diverticulitis","relationship_to_service":"not incurred in or otherwise related to"}, {"condition_name":"left ankle sprain with arthropathy and instability","relationship_to_service":"related to service"}, {"condition_name":"right ankle sprain with arthropathy and instability","relationship_to_service":"related to service"}
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 9, 2019
- Citation
- 19126504
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
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