The Board has granted service connection for left and right inguinal hernias, finding that the preexisting conditions were aggravated by military service. Service connection was denied for an umbilical hernia due to lack of evidence of current disability.
The deciding factor: Service connection was established based on aggravation of pre-existing inguinal hernias during active duty, while the umbilical hernia is considered not a current disability as no symptoms were reported post-service.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Inguinal Hernia, Right Inguinal Hernia, Umbilical Hernia
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- June 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19147712
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,329 · Granted: 31% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 19147712.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's initial ratings for allergic rhinitis and right inguinal hernia have been granted, with a 10% rating assigned in each case. The reduction of the scar status post inguinal hernia repair from 10% to non-compensable has also been restored.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for PTSD, a compensable rating for right inguinal hernia, and an earlier effective date for service connection of the hernia. The claim for service connection for gastrointestinal problems was remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board denied higher initial ratings for erectile dysfunction, right inguinal hernia, and scar -anterior trunk, abdomen (s/p right inguinal hernia repair), but granted a 10 percent rating for paresthesia -inferior maxillary fifth cranial nerve (now claimed as bruxism).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received for the Veteran's claims of service connection for a right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, and umbilical hernia. The claims are being remanded to allow for further development.
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