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Denied

The appeal was denied due to the invalidity of the August 6, 2018, notice of disagreement and the denial of service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, bilateral foot disability, and right shoulder disability. An earlier effective date for left shoulder radiculopathy was granted.

The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran had CFS or related disabilities, nor did it show an increased severity of his pre-existing pes planus. The Board also found that Gulf War Syndrome is not itself a disability and the August 6, 2018, NOD was invalid.

Claimed conditions
left shoulder radiculopathy, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), bilateral foot disability, right shoulder disability
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
0%
Decision date
January 30, 2025
Citation
A25008714

Veterans Law Judge

Nathaniel J. Doan

Decisions by this judge: 1,429 · Granted: 29% (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 A25008714.

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

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