The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for rectal bleeding, finding that there is no relationship between his condition and exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune or service. The Board also found that the current cause of his rectal bleeding is due to hemorrhoids and benign colon polyps rather than a gastric ulcer.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners' opinions were more probative in determining that there was no causal relationship between the Veteran's condition and exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune or service, as evidenced by his history of gastrointestinal issues.
- Claimed conditions
- rectal bleeding
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 12, 2021
- Citation
- 21014414
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 21014414.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection of hemorrhoids with rectal bleeding is remanded due to the VA's failure to obtain a medical opinion on direct service connection and as related to toxic exposure risk activities (TERA).
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's gastrointestinal disorder, including GERD and rectal bleeding, is found to be caused by his service-connected major depressive disorder.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for rectal bleeding due to conflicting opinions and a need for further development.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a bilateral eye disability (pinguecula and dry eye syndrome) on a direct basis, but dismissed claims for earlier effective dates and service connections for PTSD, rectal bleeding, left leg condition, and other neuropathies. The Board also denied an earlier effective date for the 50 percent rating for migraine headaches.
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