The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a hernia disability, finding that the evidence does not support a causal relationship between the current disability and an in-service injury or disease.
The deciding factor: The November 2023 VA examiner opined that it was less likely than not that the Veteran's hernia disability was incurred in or caused by lifting heavy boxes during service, citing the lack of evidence of symptoms during service and the fact that the Veteran continued to engage in such activities after service.
- Claimed conditions
- hernia disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 11, 2024
- Citation
- 24001823
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for hernia, lumbosacral strain, left and right knee strains, and left and right shoulder strains due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for prostatic hypertrophy but denied service connection for hernia disability, peripheral vascular disease (PVD), bladder incontinence, and renal toxicity.
- Remanded (sent back)
All five issues were remanded for additional development. The Board found prior VA medical opinions inadequate because they failed to address in-service diagnoses, applied incorrect legal standards, and dismissed competent lay statements without explanation.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for all claimed conditions due to lack of evidence showing a current disability or link to military service.
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