Citation Nr: 18150865
Decision Date: 11/16/18	Archive Date: 11/15/18

DOCKET NO. 15-37 552
DATE:	November 16, 2018
ORDER
Entitlement to service connection for a neurogenic bladder disability (claimed as bladder condition) is granted.
FINDING OF FACT
Competent evidence links the Veteran’s neurogenic bladder disability to his active service. 
CONCLUSION OF LAW
The criteria for service connection for neurogenic bladder disability are met. 38 U.S.C. §§ 1110, 5107 (2012); 38 C.F.R. §§ 3.102, 3.303 (2017).
REASONS AND BASES FOR FINDING AND CONCLUSION
The Veteran had active duty service with the United States Navy from June 1977 to February 1994. 
This case comes before the Board of Veteran’s Appeals (Board) on appeal from an August 2014 rating decision of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO).
The Veteran testified at a November 7, 2018, hearing held before the undersigned at the Jackson, Mississippi, Regional Office (RO). This decision is being rendered prior to the production of a transcript of that hearing; given the favorable outcome, the Veteran is not prejudiced.  
Neurogenic Bladder 
Service connection may be established for a disability resulting from disease or injury incurred in or aggravated by service. 38 U.S.C. §§ 1110, 1131; 38 C.F.R. § 3.303. Regulations also provide that service connection may be granted for any disease diagnosed after discharge, when all the evidence, including that pertinent to service, establishes that the disability was incurred in service. 38 C.F.R. § 3.303 (d).
Generally, in order to prove service connection, there must be competent, credible evidence of (1) a current disability, (2) in-service incurrence or aggravation of an injury or disease, and (3) a nexus, or link, between the current disability and the in-service disease or injury. See, e.g., Davidson v. Shinseki, 581 F.3d 1313 (Fed. Cir. 2009); Pond v. West, 12 Vet. App. 341 (1999).
The Veteran asserts that his neurogenic bladder disability is due to his active service. More specifically, he asserts that his bladder disability was caused by holding his urine for extended periods of time while on watch aboard a sub.
The Veteran’s records documented that he was diagnosed with neurogenic bladder. See April 2014 VA Examination report. 
The Veteran’s service treatment records are silent for any complaints, findings, or diagnoses of a bladder disability. 
In April 2014, the Veteran was afforded a VA examination. The Veteran was diagnosed with neurogenic bladder. The examiner provided a negative secondary service connection opinion. However, he concluded that his neurogenic bladder was likely related to his self-imposed urinary retention and his benign prostatic hypertrophy. The examiner noted that three different Urologist opined as to the cause of the Veteran’s neurogenic bladder being “self-imposed urinary retention.”
On July 2015 Veteran’s statement, he indicated that he had to maintain radio room coverage for periods of 6 hours at a time during the underway. He wrote that he sometime had to stand a port and starboard rotation for 6 hours on and 6 hours off or a 3-station rotation of 6 hours on and 12 hours off. He repeated these allegations at his hearing.
After a review of the evidence of record, the Board finds that service connection is warranted. The Veteran has been diagnosed with a neurogenic bladder disability. The Veteran’s credible statement reflects an in-service injury. Lastly, there is competent medical evidence of record that links the Veteran’s current neurogenic disability to his service. There is no medical evidence to the contrary. Accordingly, service connection for a neurogenic bladder disability is granted. 
 

 
WILLIAM H. DONNELLY
Veterans Law Judge
Board of Veterans’ Appeals
ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD	S. Baxter, Associate Counsel