The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and residuals of Lyme's disease due to a lack of evidence showing an increase in severity during her National Guard service. The Board found that any aggravation was not due to military service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner determined that the Veteran’s preexisting conditions did not worsen as a result of her National Guard service and that any exacerbations were likely due to accidents or natural progression of the diseases.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, residuals of Lyme's disease
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 15, 2020
- Citation
- 20003699
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for scarring, right orchiopexy and remanded the claim of asbestos exposure residuals. Other claims for service connection were denied.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for fibromyalgia and Gulf War unexplained chronic multi-symptom illness, bronchus, as well as an extension of the temporary 100 percent disability evaluation.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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