The Board has denied all service connection claims, finding no evidence of chronic disabilities in service or for many years thereafter. The Veteran's lay statements regarding inservice incidents are not sufficient to establish service connection.
The deciding factor: There is insufficient medical evidence linking the claimed disabilities to service and/or inservice events.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, cervical spine disability (to include degenerative changes), thoracic spine disability (to include degenerative changes), posttraumatic stress disorder, right and left shoulder disabilities, right and left hip disabilities, right and left knee disabilities, right and left ankle disabilities, disorder characterized by numbness of the right and left hands, disorder characterized by pain in the left arm and side, vision problems (characterized as 'vision problems'), chronic sinus disorder, chronic headache disorder, tinnitus (buzzing) in the ears
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 18, 2009
- Citation
- 0944020
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 0944020.
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 appeal for service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder has been dismissed as the appellant requested withdrawal of the appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted service connection for prostate cancer but remanded the claim for PTSD due to insufficient verification of stressor incidents.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found the eligibility determination for PCAFC enrollment to be legally inadequate and remanded for a new medical opinion that adequately addresses the criteria for eligibility as set forth in VA regulations.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for diabetes type II as secondary to a service-connected disability and an initial 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder, subject to the regulations governing the award of monetary benefits.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.