The Board remands the matter of entitlement to service connection for an umbilical hernia because the VA examiners did not address whether strenuous exercise in basic training aggravated the Veteran's preexisting hernia.
The deciding factor: The opinions provided by the VA examiners were inadequate as they did not address the Veteran's contention that strenuous exercise aggravated his preexisting hernia.
- Claimed conditions
- umbilical hernia
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 17, 2024
- Citation
- 24002511
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for hernia, other than hiatal, specifically ventral, inguinal, and umbilical hernias, finding that the Veteran's obesity, caused by his service-connected disabilities, was a substantial factor in causing these hernias.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for ventral hernia and umbilical hernia based on the evidence showing that the Veteran's current disability is related to his active military service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, vertigo, and various other conditions as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's active duty.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for several conditions, including bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, cervical myelopathy with right upper extremity weakness, chronic kidney disease stage III, gout of the right foot, hip joint replacements, and umbilical hernia. The claims for left rotator cuff tear, sleep apnea, and tinnitus were remanded.
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