The Board denied service connection for peripheral artery disease (PAD) due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, as the evidence did not show a link between the condition and service. The Veteran's current PAD was diagnosed in May 2015, over 25 years after his time at Camp Lejeune.,The Board also denied service connection for osteoarthritis of the right knee, finding that there was no evidence showing a relationship to service or any compensable manifestation within one year post-service discharge.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran's current PAD is not related to his military service, including exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The Board agreed with this finding based on the passage of many years between discharge from active service and the documentation of a claimed disability.,For osteoarthritis of the right knee, there was no evidence showing a relationship to service or any compensable manifestation within one year post-service discharge.
- Claimed conditions
- Peripheral artery disease (PAD), Osteoarthritis of the right knee
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 22, 2020
- Citation
- 20035735
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 20035735.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, Type II and peripheral artery disease as there was no evidence of a causal relationship between the conditions and the appellant's military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The claims for higher initial ratings for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, osteoarthritis of the right and left knees, and left ankle strain are remanded due to inadequate VA compensation examination reports.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for right and left knee disabilities, to include osteoarthritis (OA), as well as diabetes mellitus, Type II (DM II) and peripheral artery disease (PAD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for additional development, including obtaining a new VA examination to address the inadequacies of previous examinations and obtain any relevant private treatment records.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.