The Board granted service connection for hiatal hernia and increased the rating of left varicocele to 10 percent, effective from March 29, 2007. The ratings for right lower extremity neuropathy and left lower extremity neuropathy were denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hiatal hernia was found to be proximately due to his service-connected mood disorder. His varicocele was rated under the appropriate diagnostic code based on its symptoms of pain, aching, and fatigue that improved with tub baths. The Board granted service connection for right lower extremity neuropathy but denied it as there was no evidence linking it to service or exposure to herbicides.
- Claimed conditions
- hiatal hernia, right lower extremity neuropathy, left lower extremity neuropathy, left varicocele
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- June 27, 2019
- Citation
- 19150046
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,249 · Granted: 37% (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 19150046.
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 Board has granted a 10 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected left varicocele with surgical resection, finding that his symptoms are comparable to those of intermittent edema and fatigue after prolonged standing or walking.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate development of her exposure history and lack of adequate medical opinions. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further action.
- Granted
The Veteran's TDIU rating is granted with an effective date of March 15, 2017.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals for left hip arthritis, right hip arthritis, type II diabetes, right lower extremity neuropathy, left lower extremity neuropathy, and sleep apnea as they have become service-connected in other rating decisions.
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