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
- Not verified here — check the original 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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0944020.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
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