The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an inguinal hernia, finding that there was no evidence showing the condition was related to or aggravated by his active-duty service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined that the Veteran's bilateral hernia residuals were not permanently aggravated beyond natural progression by his active-duty service and that the overwhelming evidence in literature indicates hernia is not occupation or exertion related but develops in individuals with predisposed weakness of the connective tissues.
- Claimed conditions
- inguinal hernia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 19, 2025
- Citation
- 25003722
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,913 · Granted: 30% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 25003722.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and initial disability ratings were denied. The Veteran was granted a rating of 40 percent, but no higher, for diabetic peripheral neuropathy affecting the right lower extremity and left lower extremity, and a rating of 20 percent, but no higher, for diabetic peripheral neuropathy affecting the left upper extremity (minor).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, an acquired psychiatric disorder, a low back condition, residuals of kidney cancer, bilateral flat feet, and bilateral knee conditions. The appeals are now pending again due to the need for additional examinations.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability evaluation for his service-connected inguinal hernia, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under either old or new Diagnostic Code 7338.
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