The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including tinnitus, right and left ear hearing loss, a left knee disorder, arthritis of the right knee, low back disorder, allergy disorder, gastrointestinal disorder, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD), finding that there was no evidence of current disabilities or a link to active service.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the Veteran did not have current diagnoses for many of the claimed conditions and found insufficient evidence linking any diagnosed conditions to his active service. The Board also noted that the presumptive service connection criteria were not met for some of the conditions due to lack of in-service diagnosis or manifestation within a specified timeframe.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, left knee disorder, right knee disorder (claimed as arthritis), low back disorder (claimed as arthritis due to herbicide exposure), allergy disorder (claimed as due to herbicide exposure), gastrointestinal disorder (claimed as due to herbicide exposure), acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 20, 2009
- Citation
- 0939714
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 0939714.
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 case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing proper notice regarding secondary service connection.
- 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.
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