Board Decision Lookup › Hernia
How the Board ruled on hernia claims, 2021–2025
How the Board of Veterans' Appeals ruled on hernia service-connection claims in 2021–2025, for every theory and secondary pairing we publish. Board-appealed cases only, counted per claim. Last updated October 4, 2026.
These are past Board decisions, not a prediction for any individual case, and not legal advice. The percentage is among DECIDED cases; cases sent back to VA (remanded) are counted separately.
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Hernia (direct service connection)
Direct (began in or was caused by service), or theory not stated in the Board order
23.4% granted of 333 decided cases (margin of error 19.2–28.3%). 78 granted, 255 denied, 457 sent back to VA (remanded, not decided), 94 dismissed.
What convinced the Board in granted cases
- Medical opinions that explained the link carried weight, including a treating doctor's opinion and VA examiners who tied hernia worsening to another condition. A VA exam lost weight when it ignored the veteran's described symptoms. (4 of 8 decisions read; e.g. A25028640, A24060004, 21059921)
- The veteran's credible testimony about a hernia or hernia surgery in service was accepted, especially with a buddy statement, service records of groin pain, or a matching surgical scar. (4 of 8 decisions read; e.g. 22023511, A24034957, A24000162)
Common reasons in denied cases
- A thorough VA opinion found no link, often noting no hernia in service or another cause such as obesity, and it outweighed the veteran's own view. In one case private opinions were rejected as conclusory. (6 of 11 decisions read; e.g. 24000195, A25002427, 21069367)
- No medical opinion linked the hernia to service. The only support was the veteran's own belief, which was not competent on this medical question. (4 of 11 decisions read; e.g. 21002222, A21003103, A24069634)
- There was no current hernia diagnosis, or the hernia first appeared decades after service with no symptoms shown in between. (4 of 11 decisions read; e.g. 24017096, 22022303, A21003103)
Hernia secondary to any service-connected condition
Secondary (caused or worsened by a service-connected condition)
37.7% granted of 53 decided cases (margin of error 25.9–51.2%). 20 granted, 33 denied, 67 sent back to VA (remanded, not decided), 4 dismissed.
What convinced the Board in granted cases
- The Board granted when a VA examiner found the hernia resulted from surgery for a service-connected condition, such as a liver transplant, hysterectomy, aneurysm repair, or reflux surgery. (4 of 8 decisions read; e.g. 21021169, 21069476, 21036520)
- A medical opinion explained how the service-connected condition strained the abdominal wall, such as chronic cough or bowel flares, sometimes citing medical literature. (2 of 8 decisions read, few decisions; e.g. A25039728, 23035234)
- Negative VA opinions lost weight when they addressed only aggravation or only direct service, while a treating surgeon's opinion consistent with the records was given weight. (2 of 8 decisions read, few decisions; e.g. 21036520, 23027402)
Common reasons in denied cases
- A thorough VA opinion went unrebutted, explaining that the service-connected condition or its medications, such as anti-inflammatory pain pills, do not cause a hernia, or that other risk factors were more likely. (7 of 13 decisions read; e.g. A21001103, 21009696, 21043162)
- The only link was the veteran's own belief, which is not competent medical evidence, and no medical opinion supported the claim. (4 of 13 decisions read; e.g. 21009696, 21036673, 21043162)
- Some claims failed because no hernia was found during the appeal, or the claimed primary condition was not service-connected. (2 of 13 decisions read, few decisions; e.g. 22017192, 21030846)
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Other conditions
- Alcohol or substance use disorder
- Anemia / blood disorder
- Ankle
- Arm / upper extremity
- Arthritis
- Asthma / COPD / lung condition
- Bladder / urinary condition
- Chronic fatigue
- Dental / jaw
- Depression / psychiatric disorder
- Diabetes
- Elbow
- Erectile dysfunction
- Eye / vision
- Fibromyalgia
- Foot (flat feet / plantar fasciitis)
- GERD / acid reflux
- Hand / fingers
- Hearing loss
- Heart disease
- Hemorrhoids
- Hepatitis / liver
- Hernia
- Hip
- Hypertension
- Insomnia / sleep disorder
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Kidney disease
- Knee
- Low back (lumbar spine)
- Lower leg (incl. shin splints)
- Memory loss / cognitive
- Migraine / headaches
- Neck (cervical spine)
- Parkinson's disease
- Prostate (non-cancer)
- Prostate cancer
- PTSD
- Radiculopathy / peripheral neuropathy
- Sarcoidosis / pulmonary fibrosis
- Seizure disorder
- Shoulder
- Sinusitis / rhinitis
- Skin condition
- Sleep apnea
- Stroke
- Thyroid
- Tinnitus
- Vertigo / dizziness
- Wrist
Percentages are shown only for combinations with at least 30 decided cases (granted + denied). Named secondary pairings with 10–29 decided cases are listed as "small sample" with counts only. "ANY service-connected condition (all combined)" pools every secondary claim for that condition. Other combinations exist, but there are too few decided cases to report. Each claim is counted by the Board's ruling on that specific claim (a decision covering several issues is split by issue). Remanded = sent back to VA for more work, not decided. "What convinced the Board" summarizes a reading of up to 25 granted and 25 denied Board decisions for each claim type, with the decision numbers shown so any point can be checked. Board-appealed cases only, not regional-office decisions. Information only, not legal advice. Flat Rate Nexus is a private medical practice, not affiliated with the VA.
Source: Board of Veterans' Appeals decisions, 2021–2025. Last updated October 4, 2026. flatratenexus.com · Privacy · Terms