The Board has denied service connection for left shoulder disability, lymphatic cancer of the neck, oropharyngeal or tonsil cancer, hypertension, and acquired psychiatric disability. The Veteran's left shoulder disability is not related to military service, his cancers are more likely due to GERD and alcohol use rather than exposure in service, and there was no evidence of hypertension prior to death.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners found no direct link between the disabilities and military service, with the exception of a possible association with GERD and alcohol use for the oropharyngeal or tonsil cancer. The Veteran's cancers were not linked to any exposure in service.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder disability, lymphatic cancer of the neck, oropharyngeal or tonsil cancer, hypertension, acquired psychiatric disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 30, 2023
- Citation
- 23047935
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 23047935.
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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