The Veteran's appeal was denied for the entire list of issues presented. The Board found no evidence to support service connection for any conditions, and the ratings assigned were deemed appropriate based on the current functional impairment.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not provide sufficient evidence to establish service connection for any of the claimed conditions, as they were determined to be unrelated to his military service or due to other causes. The existing ratings were found to accurately reflect the severity of the disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Knee Internal Derangement, Status Post ACL Repair and Partial Meniscectomy with Residual Traumatic Degenerative Joint Disease, Left Ear Hearing Loss, Right Ear Hearing Loss, Residuals of Left Wrist Fracture (Carpal Tunnel Syndrome), Residuals of Left Forearm Fracture, Bilateral Hand Arthritis, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome of the Right Wrist, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome of the Left Wrist, Deviated Nasal Septum, Rhinitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 12, 2016
- Citation
- 1614789
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 1614789.
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 claims of service connection for right ear hearing loss and a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims based on in-service noise exposure or other theories.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran was granted a TDIU with a September 19, 2024 effective date based on his PTSD, emphysema, and COPD symptoms. His diabetes, tinnitus, and left ear hearing loss were not found to prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to March 19, 2024.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability was not incurred in service and is less likely than not caused by noise exposure during his military service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to August 31, 2020.
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