The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to January 18, 2012. The claim for hypertension was denied as there was no evidence of its onset during or immediately after service, and the VA examiners' opinions supported this finding. For TDIU, the Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment prior to January 18, 2012.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not establish a direct relationship between hypertension and service, nor was there any evidence of herbicide agent exposure or Camp Lejeune contamination that could support presumptive service connection. The VA examiners' opinions were considered more probative than the Veteran's lay assertions regarding the etiology of his hypertension.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 14, 2022
- Citation
- 22008412
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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 22008412.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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