The Board has denied service connection for various conditions, including degenerative joint disease, diabetes mellitus type II, diabetic neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, hypertension, coronary artery disease, benign prostatic hyperplasia, status post penis carcinoma, and right shoulder status post lipoma. The claims are based on direct service connection rather than presumptive exposure to herbicides or other conditions.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service treatment records did not show any complaints, diagnoses, or symptoms related to the claimed disabilities during his active duty service. Additionally, there is no evidence of in-service injury or event that could be linked to these conditions. The Board found that the claims are based on direct service connection rather than presumptive exposure to herbicides.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative joint disease, diabetes mellitus type II, diabetic neuropathy of the upper extremities, diabetic neuropathy of the lower extremities, hypertension, coronary artery disease, benign prostatic hyperplasia, status post penis carcinoma, right shoulder status post lipoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19142319
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.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for headaches and increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, hypertension, and left and right leg restless leg syndrome. The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.
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