The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for a left shoulder disability, cystic fibrosis in the breast, and bilateral radiculopathy of the upper extremities. The claim for increased rating for sinusitis was also denied. The claim for compensable rating for status post left tympanic membrane operation (claimed as cholesteatoma) and left ear hearing loss were not addressed due to a separate issue with cystic fibrosis in the breast.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not establish that any of these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service, including through exposure to burn pits, Agent Orange, Camp Lejeune, radiation, Gulf War Syndrome, or other presumptive conditions. The Board found no credible evidence linking current disabilities to service and denied the claims accordingly.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder disability, cystic fibrosis in the breast, bilateral radiculopathy of the upper extremities, sinusitis, status post left tympanic membrane operation (claimed as cholesteatoma), left ear hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 0%
- Decision date
- June 14, 2010
- Citation
- 1021862
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 1021862.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including sinusitis, elbows condition, cervical condition, erectile dysfunction, kidney condition, sleep apnea, wrists condition, asthma, shoulders condition, ankles condition, eye condition (bilateral dry macular degeneration), peripheral vascular disease (heart condition), and rhinitis.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent disability rating for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy from April 3, 2023 onward, but denied higher ratings prior to that date. Service connection was also granted for alcohol use disorder as secondary to PTSD with traumatic brain injury.
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