The Board denied an increased rating for the Veteran's esophagus stricture and remanded a claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a higher rating for the Veteran's esophagus stricture, as his symptoms were already compensated under existing ratings. The Board also found that there was no separate injury to the pharynx warranting a different rating.
- Claimed conditions
- esophagus stricture, vocal cord cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Ionizing radiation
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 23, 2025
- Citation
- A25054104
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.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, cervical strain, esophagus stricture, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and migraine headaches due to untimely notice of disagreement. The appeal for B-cell lymphoma was remanded for further development.
- Dismissed
The veteran's appeal requests for service connection for vocal cord cancer, dementia, neck cancer, and COPD were dismissed as untimely.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a left knee, right knee, left ankle, right ankle, back, and tinnitus disabilities. Service connection was also granted for prostate cancer and vocal cord cancer due to exposure to jet fuel, fumes, and smoke. An acquired psychiatric disorder was granted as secondary to the Veteran's orthopedic conditions.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
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