The Board denied the Veteran's claim for revision of a May 1973 rating decision that denied service connection for Friedreich's ataxia on the basis of clear and unmistakable error (CUE).
The deciding factor: The RO found that the symptoms were noted two weeks after induction, and any change since is consistent with known progressive natural history of the disease. There was no clear and unmistakable evidence demonstrating pre-service existence or aggravation by service.
- Claimed conditions
- Friedreich's ataxia
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 31, 2025
- Citation
- A25009164
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,081 · Granted: 38% (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 A25009164.
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.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's cerebellar degeneration, which is a result of his service-connected malaria infection, should be considered for service connection.
- Granted
The Board found that the Veteran's Friedreich's ataxia first manifested in service and granted service connection for this condition.
- Granted
The veteran is entitled to an increased rate of SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected neurological impairment, bladder dysfunction, bowel dysfunction, and other conditions.
- Granted
The Board has reopened the veteran's claim and granted service connection for Friedreich's ataxia, finding that it had its onset in service.
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