The Board denied service connection for left foot disorder, osteoporosis, gastrointestinal disorder, and sleep apnea. The Veteran's claims were found to lack current diagnoses or a causal relationship with service.
The deciding factor: There is no current evidence of the claimed conditions or a link between them and service.
- Claimed conditions
- pyelonephritis, chronic upper respiratory infections (URIs), otitis media of the right ear
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 15, 2015
- Citation
- 1552435
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 1552435.
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 Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death, finding that there was no evidence linking any of the immediate or contributing causes of his death to his period of active duty service. The Board also found that the PACT Act did not apply in this case as the Veteran served prior to the period when herbicide agents were presumed used.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for a scar, residual of a cyst removed from the groin area is dismissed.,The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbar spine disability is denied. A 20 percent disability rating, but no higher, is granted.,The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD is denied. A 10 percent disability rating, but no higher, is granted.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for otitis media of the right ear is denied.,The Veteran's claim for a disability rating for chest wall muscle spasm, claimed as costochondritis, is granted with a 10 percent rating.,The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating in excess of 20 percent for right ankle disability remains pending.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a kidney disorder, including chronic urinary tract infection (UTI), pyelonephritis, nephrolithiasis, and medullary sponge kidney (MSK). The evidence did not support finding that these conditions began during service or were otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter of entitlement to service connection for a kidney disorder, including chronic UTI, pyelonephritis, nephrolithiasis, and MSK, due to further development needed.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.