The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including left knee DJD, left shoulder DJD and bursitis, right leg fracture residuals, left inguinal hernia, hiatal hernia, and esophagitis (ear), have been denied. The Board found no evidence of a chronic condition in service or at any time since service that is related to the Veteran's military service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners concluded there was no link between the current conditions and service due to lack of continuity of symptomatology, type of work after service, and other factors.
- Claimed conditions
- Hiatal Hernia, Left Inguinal Hernia, Left Knee Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD), Left Shoulder DJD and Bursitis, Right External Otitis (Ear), Right Leg Fracture Residuals
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 1, 2019
- Citation
- 19159651
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 940 · Granted: 21% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19159651.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
An effective date of September 7, 2018 is granted for service connection of PTSD.,A higher initial rating for hiatal hernia prior to May 2, 2017 is denied.,TDIU from September 7, 2018 is granted.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for a gastrointestinal disability, including hiatal hernia and GERD, is remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions. The Board finds that new evidence has been submitted but does not consider it relevant to the current decision.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied a rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and remanded the claims for service connection for splenomegaly, fecal retention, and hiatal hernia.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for GERD and hiatal hernia to obtain additional medical opinions regarding aggravation by the Veteran's service-connected musculoskeletal conditions.
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