The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of various conditions, including left knee disorder, left ankle disorder, right ankle disorder, depressive disorder, COPD, neurological disorders of lower extremities, and hip disorders. The reasons given were that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service.
The deciding factor: There is no reliable medical evidence showing a link between the Veteran's current diagnoses and his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee disorder, left ankle disorder, right ankle disorder, depressive disorder, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), neurological disorder of the left lower extremity, neurological disorder of the right lower extremity, left hip disorder, right hip disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 9, 2019
- Citation
- 19127503
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including GERD, chronic kidney disease, COPD, a heart condition, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, insomnia, and obstructive sleep apnea, as additional development is necessary to address the Veteran's exposure to toxic chemical agents during his service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a respiratory disability to obtain an adequate VA examination and additional evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for chronic kidney disease, atrial fibrillation, hiatal hernia, COPD, and prostate cancer as a result of toxic exposure during the Veteran's military service.
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