The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for systemic lupus erythematosis, scleroderma, and discoid lupus erythematosus due to lack of evidence of an in-service incident or a nexus. The claim was reopened based on new evidence submitted after the May 2006 rating decision.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease, and the Veteran's conditions did not manifest within one year of separation from service.
- Claimed conditions
- systemic lupus erythematosis, scleroderma, discoid lupus erythematosus
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 20, 2019
- Citation
- 19187949
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,549 · Granted: 26% (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 19187949.
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 has remanded the Veteran's claim of service connection for lupus and discoid lupus erythematosus due to potential exposure through a toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) in service, including as a fire support specialist. The Veteran will be provided with an examination to determine if his conditions are related to service.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment since June 30, 2018. The Board has granted a TDIU effective July 1, 2018.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to their death. The claims for special monthly compensation, scleroderma service connection, Raynaud's disease service connection, bilateral hearing loss rating, and PTSD rating are not currently before the Board.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal regarding service connection for various conditions has been dismissed due to their death.
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