The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The claim for left ear hearing loss was not substantiated as the Veteran did not have sufficient impairment to qualify as a disability. The claim for service connection for residuals of left leg thrombosis, respiratory disability, and left knee disability is addressed in the REMAND section. Other claims are denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a disability under VA regulations. For other conditions, the evidence did not establish new and material evidence to reopen the claim or provide sufficient evidence to grant service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- Left ear hearing loss disability, Respiratory disability (claimed as due to exposure to hydrazine), Chronic lumbar strain, Cervical/thoracic strain, Right knee strain, Left ankle sprain (residuals of an ankle surgery), Ganglion cyst on the right wrist
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 6, 2014
- Citation
- 1449313
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 1449313.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disability, finding that there was no nexus between his current condition and active duty service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine strain, right wrist sprain, right knee strain, left knee strain, and right ankle strain. The disabilities are all deemed to have begun during the Veteran's active duty.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee condition due to inadequate VA opinions and incomplete record development regarding his National Guard service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for bilateral knee strains with shin splints due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. A new VA examination is required to assess the severity of the Veteran's knee disabilities, including during flare-ups.
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