The Board denied reopening the claim for service connection for sickle cell hemoglobinopathy and also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: No new and material evidence was received to reopen the claim of service connection for sickle cell hemoglobinopathy, as the Veteran's condition preexisted service and was not aggravated by active duty. The Veteran has no other service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- sickle cell hemoglobinopathy
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 6, 2019
- Citation
- 19135101
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,350 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19135101.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for sickle cell hemoglobinopathy and TDIU due to the Veteran's preexisting condition that was not aggravated by service. The Veteran's sickle cell anemia is considered a congenital disorder, which did not undergo aggravation during service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's child, A.D.D., did not have spina bifida. The appellant does not meet the criteria for benefits under 38 U.S.C. §§ 1805 or 1815.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing proper notice regarding secondary service connection.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The appeal is granted as his PTSD is now considered service-connected.
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