The Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral ankle disability and bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as there was no evidence of a nexus between the disabilities and active service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran declined to participate in or reschedule VA examinations, preventing any determination on the etiology of his claimed disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral ankle disability, Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 18, 2018
- Citation
- 18103359
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 18103359.
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 remands several issues for further development, including service connection claims and an earlier effective date claim.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings, as well as entitlement to a TDIU prior to September 17, 2014.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for hypertension and remanded claims related to a low back disability, bilateral shoulder impingement syndrome, and other conditions due to insufficient evidence.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, bilateral ankle disability, bilateral shoulder disability, back disability, and tinnitus as the evidence did not support a finding of current disabilities or a link to in-service events.
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.