The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, dermatitis (claimed as skin rash due to herbicide exposure), residuals of left eye strabismus surgery, and both right and left knee osteoarthritis. The appeals were decided on a direct basis without any presumption or secondary theory.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service records did not show any in-service hearing loss, tinnitus, dermatitis, or eye conditions. Presbyopia was noted but not linked to the strabismus surgery. There is no evidence of herbicide exposure that could support a presumptive claim for dermatitis.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, Tinnitus, Dermatitis (claimed as skin rash as a result of herbicide exposure), Residuals of left eye, status post corrective strabismus surgery, Left knee osteoarthritis, status post total knee arthroplasty with history of osteoarthritis, Right knee osteoarthritis, status post total knee arthroplasty with history of osteoarthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 31, 2018
- Citation
- 1806221
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 1806221.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for depressive disorder as secondary to hypertension and tinnitus, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an increased rating for hypertension.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but remanded the claim for degenerative disc disease with degenerative arthritis.
- Partly granted
The Board granted readjudication of previously denied claims for service connection for PTSD and COPD, while remanding other issues including entitlement to service connection for an eye disorder, hypertension, tinnitus, a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, TDIU, and an initial rating for PTSD.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
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.