The Board denied service connection for lupus, right upper extremity neuropathy, left upper extremity neuropathy, right hip disability, left hip disability, fibromyalgia, hypertension, and kidney disease. The Veteran's claims were not granted on a presumptive basis due to the lack of association between lupus and exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions provided by VA physicians did not support a nexus between the Veteran's lupus and his service or exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The private physician's opinion was deemed inadequate as it failed to provide a thorough rationale for its conclusion that the Veteran's lupus may be due to exposure to contaminated water.
- Claimed conditions
- Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (lupus), Right upper extremity neuropathy, Left upper extremity neuropathy, Right hip disability, Left hip disability, Fibromyalgia, Hypertension, Kidney disease, Chronic bilateral maxillary sinusitis (sinusitis)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 17, 2023
- Citation
- 23056475
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 23056475.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
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- Granted
The Board has restored the Veteran's 10% rating for hypertension effective December 1, 2025 and denied a rating in excess of 10%. The reduction from 10% to noncompensable was not proper.
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