The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a rectal tear, finding no current diagnosis and insufficient evidence to establish a link between his in-service injury and any present condition.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners' opinions were given more probative weight as they considered the history of the disability including the Veteran’s reports of injury at separation due to an unlubricated digital rectal examination, and supported by clear explanation.
- Claimed conditions
- rectal tear, pruritis ani
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19181853
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 882 · Granted: 17% (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 19181853.
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: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claim for Total Disability Individual Unemployability (TDIU) prior to September 26, 2020. The decision was based on evidence showing the veteran could perform sedentary work and was gainfully employed until October 31, 2014.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a duty-to-assist error, and any new evidence will be considered in the adjudication of the claim.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran was granted a TDIU from November 11, 2003 to May 27, 2015 due to his service-connected pruritis ani and hemorrhoids preventing him from obtaining and maintaining gainful employment.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's service-connected pruritis ani is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted.
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