The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of both his right and left lower extremities, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current DVT diagnoses and his military service, including exposure to chemicals or radiation.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's current diagnosis of bilateral DVT did not begin during service and was not related to any in-service injury, event, or disease, including exposure to toxic substances. The evidence showed no clear etiology for the Veteran's DVT diagnoses, which were recurrent and occurred after periods of immobilization.
- Claimed conditions
- deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of the right lower extremity, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of the left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 26, 2020
- Citation
- 20069168
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 service connection for deep vein thrombosis of the left lower extremity, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a new VA examination to address specific symptoms of DVT as directed in previous remand orders.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found no evidence to support a higher rating for lumbosacral strain prior to August 11, 2017 or since that date. Service connection was also denied for DVT of the right lower extremity and hypertension.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
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