The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a gastrointestinal disability, diagnosed as diverticular disease, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current diagnosis and his active service. The Board also noted that the Veteran did not have a diagnosed functional gastrointestinal disability or symptoms sufficient to qualify as an undiagnosed illness or a medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness for purposes of establishing presumptive service connection.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners determined that the Veteran's diverticular disease was not related to his active service and did not meet the criteria for presumptive service connection due to exposure in Southwest Asia.
- Claimed conditions
- diverticular disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 20, 2023
- Citation
- 23051868
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 23051868.
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: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for adenocarcinoma colon (colon cancer) due to contaminated water exposure at Camp Lejeune, but denied service connection for diverticular disease, which the Veteran contends is related to his exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient opinions provided by VA examiners regarding the etiology and pathophysiology of the Veteran's gastrointestinal disability, specifically functional abdominal pain syndrome and/or diverticular disease. The case will be returned for further examination and opinion.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for Type II diabetes mellitus, to include entitlement to separate compensable ratings for erectile dysfunction, urinary frequency, diverticular disease, and fatty liver disease, has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the VA examination and opinion provided were not in compliance with the remand directives, necessitating another remand for additional development. Specifically, the Veteran's claim of service connection for diverticular disease is being remanded due to incomplete records and a need for an addendum opinion addressing causation.
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