The Veteran's paralyzed vocal cord and throat pain are considered residuals of the September 2016 lung surgery, which was performed under informed consent. The Board finds no evidence of carelessness or negligence on the part of VA personnel in performing the surgery.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence to support that the Veteran's paralyzed vocal cord and throat pain were due to carelessness or negligence by VA medical professionals during the September 2016 lung surgery.
- Claimed conditions
- paralyzed vocal cord, throat pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19143557
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for insomnia, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and throat pain due to a lack of compliance with previous remand instructions.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for Stevens-Johnson syndrome and denied service connection for osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine, claimed as chronic back pain. The claim for an initial rating higher than 10 percent for tinnitus was also denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a new VA examination and opinion regarding whether the Veteran has any additional disability caused by the January 2011 VA colonoscopy, including left-hand condition, surgical scars, throat pain, and a saliva stone. The examiner must determine if these conditions are related to the colonoscopy and if they were reasonably foreseeable risks.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.