The Veteran's back and neck disabilities are not related to service or Agent Orange exposure. His hypertension is related to service. The right knee, abdominal pain, GERD, and dysphagia issues have been remanded for further review.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners did not find a link between the Veteran’s current conditions and his in-service activities or Agent Orange exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- {"condition_name":"Back disability","diagnosis":"Thoracolumbar spine ankylosing spondylitis and intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS)"}, {"condition_name":"Neck disability","diagnosis":"Degenerative arthritis, degenerative disc disease, cervical radiculopathy of the right upper extremity"}, {"condition_name":"Hypertension","diagnosis":""}, {"condition_name":"Right knee disability","diagnosis":"Meniscal tear and degenerative joint disease"}, {"condition_name":"Abdominal pain","diagnosis":"Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)"}, {"condition_name":"Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)","diagnosis":""}, {"condition_name":"Dysphagia","diagnosis":"Esophageal ulcer"}
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 22, 2020
- Citation
- 20080516
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.
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to an inadequate medical opinion.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for myasthenia gravis based on the Veteran's exposure to hazardous substances during his military service.
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