The Veteran's claims for various conditions were denied as they are not related to service or service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not show a direct relationship between the claimed conditions and service, nor is there any other evidence of record that supports these claims.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, depression with sleep problems, degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the multiple joints of the right hand (claimed as arthritis of the right hand), DJD of the multiple joints of the left hand (claimed as arthritis of the left hand), DJD of the right knee (claimed as arthritis and gout of the right knee), DJD of the left knee (claimed as arthritis and gout of the left knee), arthritis of the right ankle (also claimed as gout), healed avulsive trauma of the left ankle (claimed as arthritis and gout of the left ankle), thoracic scoliosis (claimed as arthritis of the lumbar spine), bilateral pes planus and hallux valgus (claimed as bilateral gout of the feet), actinic keratosis (claimed as spots on hands and skin cancer), benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) (claimed as a prostate disorder), hiatal hernia with esophageal stricture and GERD (claimed as hernia and acid reflux), kidney stones
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 14, 2014
- Citation
- 1421770
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 1421770.
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 of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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