The Veteran's claims for service connection for asbestosis, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension (secondary to diabetes and/or PTSD), alcoholism (secondary to PTSD), joint pain (including fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis) (secondary to PTSD), gastrointestinal condition (secondary to PTSD), initial disability rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus, and initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for CAD have all been denied. The Veteran's service treatment records are silent for complaints or findings of hearing loss, asbestosis, hypertension, alcoholism, joint pain, gastrointestinal condition, diabetes mellitus, or CAD.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran has any current disabilities related to his military service, including hearing loss, asbestosis, hypertension, alcoholism, joint pain, gastrointestinal condition, diabetes mellitus, or CAD. The VA examinations and medical opinions do not indicate any connection between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Asbestosis, Bilateral Hearing Loss, Hypertension, Alcoholism, Joint Pain (including Fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis), Gastrointestinal Condition, Diabetes Mellitus, CAD (Coronary Artery Disease)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 10, 2017
- Citation
- 1732444
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 1732444.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
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