The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including right ear pain, leukoplakia, GERD, bruxism, left knee disability, impingement syndrome of the right shoulder, cervical spine DJD, lumbar spine DJD, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction were denied as there is no current evidence of a diagnosed condition or link to service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no abnormality in the Veteran's right ear upon examination. The claims for bruxism are not considered disabilities for VA compensation purposes. There is no objective evidence of a current disability for each of the conditions claimed, and the medical opinions do not support a link to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Ear Pain, Leukoplakia, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Bruxism, Left Knee Disability, Impingement Syndrome of the Right Shoulder, Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the Cervical Spine, Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the Lumbar Spine, Hypertension (HTN), Hemorrhoids, Erectile Dysfunction
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 27, 2011
- Citation
- 1147009
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1147009.
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: Denied
The Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities are rated at 10% each, and the Board finds that higher ratings are not warranted based on the evidence of record.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are not related to his active service, and thus denied both claims for service connection.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds no evidence of clear and unmistakable error in assigning an effective date of June 19, 2002.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's erectile dysfunction is secondary to his service-connected major depressive disorder, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
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