The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left leg disorder, finding no evidence of a link between his active duty service and his current conditions. The Board also found that presumptive service connection under the Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Act was not applicable to his case.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's diagnosed left leg sciatica and left knee arthritis were not related to his active duty service or any known clinical diagnosis, and thus could not be granted on a presumptive basis under the Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Act.
- Claimed conditions
- left leg pain, left leg numbness, left knee degenerative arthritis, left leg sciatica
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19146709
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted readjudication of the claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities and right and left leg pain based on new evidence, but remanded the claims for further development.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for left knee degenerative arthritis and a rating of 30 percent for left knee joint instability, while remanding other issues.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and right knee osteoarthritis, but denied service connection for left knee degenerative arthritis, right hand degenerative arthritis, left hand degenerative arthritis, left shoulder subdeltoid bursitis (claimed as degenerative arthritis), right shoulder strain (claimed as degenerative arthritis), major depressive disorder, and an anxiety disorder.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of such nature and severity as to preclude his participation in any regular substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience, warranting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.
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