The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is unrelated to any current disability. The claims for higher ratings for asthma, lumbar spine intervertebral disc syndrome with degenerative disc disease and arthritis, right lower extremity sciatic nerve impairment, left lower extremity sciatic nerve impairment, and bilateral foot sprain are denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service treatment records do not show any reference to tinnitus. The Board finds that the Veteran did not have a current disability of tinnitus at the time his claim was filed in July 2009, as he has never provided medical evidence showing such a condition. His assertions about tinnitus are not supported by the record and are therefore not credible.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), asthma, lumbar spine intervertebral disc syndrome with degenerative disc disease and arthritis, right lower extremity sciatic nerve impairment, left lower extremity sciatic nerve impairment, bilateral foot sprain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 11, 2016
- Citation
- 1627390
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 1627390.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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