The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for ptosis and neurofibromatosis, finding that both conditions pre-existed service and were not aggravated by military service. The Board also found that there was no clear and unmistakable evidence to rebut the presumption of soundness at entry into service.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the Veteran's ptosis and neurofibromatosis disabilities existed prior to his military service, and any increase in severity during service was due to natural progression rather than aggravation by service activities.
- Claimed conditions
- ptosis, neurofibromatosis
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20068271
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.
- Granted
The Board granted a 30 percent disability rating and a separate 10 percent rating for neurofibromatosis, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for an opinion clarifying the etiology of various foot conditions in relation to service-connected bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis, including whether they are aggravated by or proximately caused by this condition.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the cause of the veteran's death, respiratory failure due to or as a consequence of left multiloculated empyema and/or left panlobar pneumonia with metastatic colon cancer contributing to death, is not related to any service-connected disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical opinion addressing whether the Veteran's left eye condition is related to service, as it found that the condition did not preexist service.
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