The Veteran's claim for service connection for polycythemia has been denied as there is no evidence that the condition began during his active service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease. The Board found that the preponderance of the probative evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran’s current polycythemia is related to in-service exposure to lead and zinc chromate.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis has been remanded as there was insufficient rationale provided by the VA examiner regarding whether his arthritis is related to in-service exposures. The Board found that the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran’s current arthritis is caused by an in-service injury, event, or illness.
The deciding factor: The decision denies service connection for polycythemia because there is no evidence showing it began during active service and is related to any in-service exposure. The VA examiner's opinion was not supported by rationale addressing the Veteran’s contentions regarding his in-service exposures.,The decision remands the claim for arthritis as the VA examiner did not provide sufficient rationale for their conclusion that the Veteran's current arthritis is not caused by an in-service injury, event, or illness.
- Claimed conditions
- polycythemia, arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 5, 2020
- Citation
- 20031577
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 20031577.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and entitlement to DIC due to a failure to obtain a medical opinion prior to the rating decision on appeal regarding whether the Veteran's arthritis was related to his period of active service, and if so, whether it contributed to his death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding his diagnosed conditions, including mental health disorders, gastrointestinal issues, respiratory problems, arthritis, neuropathy, sleep apnea, erectile dysfunction, and headaches. The examination will also address whether any of these conditions were caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.
- Granted
The Veteran's hypertension and acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as a sleep deprivation condition) have been granted service connection. The claim for arthritis has been remanded.
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