The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for discoid lupus erythematosus, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his military service or exposure to herbicide agents.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that there is no medical literature supporting a nexus between herbicide agent exposure and discoid lupus erythematosus, and the Veteran's statements were not given probative value as he was not competent to provide such an opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- discoid lupus erythematosus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 18, 2020
- Citation
- 20080105
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of discoid lupus erythematosus to obtain an addendum opinion regarding whether the condition was aggravated by a service-connected disability.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is dismissed, and effective dates are granted for increased ratings of discoid lupus erythematosus and posttraumatic stress disorder.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for discoid lupus erythematosus, claimed as chronic pityriasis / pityriasis rosea, is denied. The Board found that the March 2004 and December 2007 rating decisions were final, and there was no evidence of a claim prior to October 30, 2017.
- Partly granted
The veteran's claims for service connection for discoid lupus erythematosus and skin rashes, diagnosed as eczema, vitiligo and alopecia were denied. The veteran was granted a 70 percent rating for PTSD from February 19, 2008.
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