The Veteran's gastrointestinal disorder, including ulcerative colitis, was not incurred in or caused by his service. The Board found the negative VA etiology opinion to be sufficient and entitled to probative weight.
The deciding factor: The December 2017 VA medical etiology opinion concluded that the Veteran’s ulcerative colitis is less likely than not incurred in or caused by his service, including exposure to burning oil field smoke or other environmental hazards in Southwest Asia Service.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastrointestinal disorder, Ulcerative colitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 9, 2019
- Citation
- 19126526
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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