The Veteran's service connection claims for a respiratory disorder and sickle cell anemia have been denied. The Board found that the respiratory disorder is not related to service, including due to asbestos exposure. For sickle cell anemia, the Board determined there was clear and unmistakable evidence that it preexisted service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's sickle cell anemia was noted as a trait at entry into service, and the condition clearly existed prior to service. The Board found no aggravation of this condition during service.
- Claimed conditions
- respiratory disorder, sickle cell anemia
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 31, 2019
- Citation
- 19182579
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection and increased ratings due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for a respiratory disorder, heart disorder, diabetes mellitus type II, and hypertension, as well as entitlement to a special monthly pension, due to insufficient evidence regarding in-service exposure to herbicide agents.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the Veteran's motion for revision based on clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in an April 2022 rating decision, as it was not properly raised with the AOJ first.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy and panic disorder, but denied service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and a respiratory disorder.
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