The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, traumatic arthritis of the right knee, an eye disability, and depression/anxiety. The veteran's diabetes mellitus was rated as 10 percent from October 30, 2002 to September 12, 2004 and since July 1, 2007, and as 20 percent from September 13, 2004 through June 30, 2007.
The deciding factor: The veteran's claims for service connection were denied due to a lack of evidence showing an in-service injury or disease related to the claimed conditions. The diabetes mellitus rating was based on the need for medication and diet restrictions during certain periods but not others.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, traumatic arthritis of the right knee, eye disability, depression/anxiety
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 15, 2009
- Citation
- 0901660
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,547 · Granted: 20% (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 0901660.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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