The Veteran's claims for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and ulcerative colitis are denied as there is no persuasive evidence that these conditions began during service or are related to an in-service injury.,The Veteran's claim for left shoulder radiculopathy secondary to cervical degenerative joint disease is granted. The Board finds the evidence at least equipoise on whether his current condition is due to his service-connected cervical spine disability.,The Veteran's claims for COPD and a right shoulder disability are remanded as there was no VA examination conducted for these conditions.
The deciding factor: There is insufficient evidence to substantiate the Veteran's reported exposure to burn pits during his service. The Board finds that the evidence of record persuasively weighs against finding that toxic risk activities, including burn pit exposure, occurred.,The VA examiner diagnosed left side cervical radiculopathy and opined that the Veteran's symptoms are consistent with radicular pain from his cervical spine disability. After resolving all doubt in favor of the Veteran, the Board finds service connection for left shoulder radiculopathy is warranted.,VA examination was not conducted for COPD or right shoulder disability.
- Claimed conditions
- irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), ulcerative colitis, left shoulder radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 19, 2024
- Citation
- A24085266
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 A24085266.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
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