The Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee condition, chronic conjunctivitis, and chest pain/shortness of breath were denied as new and material evidence was not submitted. The claim for an increased rating for the lower back disability was also denied.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not show that the Veteran had a current disability related to his claimed conditions or that his back disability warranted a higher rating based on the criteria provided in the regulations at the time of the decision.
- Claimed conditions
- lower back disability, left knee condition, chronic conjunctivitis, disability manifested by chest pain and shortness of breath
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 25, 2009
- Citation
- 0907081
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection were dismissed due to untimely filing of the Board Appeal requests.
- Partly granted
The appeal for service connection for allergic rhinitis and lumbosacral or cervical strain was dismissed due to untimeliness, while the other issues were remanded for further evidence.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right and left knee conditions, denied a rating in excess of 40 percent for right lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy, and denied special monthly compensation based on loss of use of a lower extremity.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for left and right knee conditions as new evidence has been received that is relevant to these claims.
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