The Board denied service connection for various conditions including pancreatic disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome, low back disorder, bilateral hand and knee disorders, antiphospholipid syndrome, fibromyalgia, obstructive sleep apnea, headaches, and diabetes mellitus type II. The evidence did not support a nexus to service.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions provided by VA examiners found no causal relationship between the Veteran's conditions and his exposure to hazardous chemicals in service or any other theory of entitlement.
- Claimed conditions
- Pancreatic disorder, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Low back disorder, Bilateral hand disorder, Bilateral knee disorder, Antiphospholipid syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), Headaches, Diabetes mellitus, type II (DM)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 19, 2020
- Citation
- 20067404
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 obstructive sleep apnea, left knee disability, and right knee disability. The claims for urinary frequency disability and residuals of a cholecystectomy were denied.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an initial increased rating for diabetes mellitus type II and remanded the claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, right shoulder strain with acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis and tendinitis, cervical spine spondylosis, left knee degenerative arthritis, right knee degenerative arthritis, and thoracolumbar scoliosis and lumbar spine degenerative changes.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities and denied higher ratings for several service-connected conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea as it requires further development and evidence.
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