The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left heel achilles tendon tear, right heel disability secondary to left heel achilles tendon tear, and tinnitus. The decision found that the Veteran was not on active duty or inactive duty at the time of his 1988 injury, thus precluding service connection for the left heel condition. The Board also denied the claim for right heel disability as it was not proximately due to the left heel condition. For tinnitus, the Board conceded noise exposure in service and found that the Veteran's lay assertions supported a finding of continuity of symptoms since service.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for service connection because he was not on active duty or inactive duty at the time of his injury. The right heel disability claim was denied as it was not proximately due to the left heel condition, and tinnitus was granted based on continuity of symptoms since service.
- Claimed conditions
- left heel achilles tendon tear, right heel disability, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 9, 2018
- Citation
- 18116778
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 18116778.
What this means for you
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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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