The Veteran's right shoulder strain is denied as not related to service or secondary to a service-connected condition.,Service connection for the left foot condition, claimed as plantar fascitis and bone spurs, is denied due to lack of evidence linking it to service.,Sinusitis is granted based on positive medical opinion linking current symptoms to service.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as depression and anxiety) is not service-connected as there is no diagnosed condition or treatment in service records.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence of a right shoulder strain during service, and the VA examiner concluded it is less likely related to service. The left foot condition was noted but not treated during service, and the current diagnosis is unrelated to service. The sinusitis is linked to service due to consistent complaints and treatment. There are no diagnosed psychiatric conditions in service records.
- Claimed conditions
- right shoulder strain, left foot condition (variously claimed as plantar fascitis and bone spurs), sinusitis, acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as depression and anxiety)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 11, 2018
- Citation
- 18141489
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 18141489.
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 asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including sinusitis, elbows condition, cervical condition, erectile dysfunction, kidney condition, sleep apnea, wrists condition, asthma, shoulders condition, ankles condition, eye condition (bilateral dry macular degeneration), peripheral vascular disease (heart condition), and rhinitis.
- Partly granted
The Board granted higher ratings for the Veteran's service-connected carpal tunnel syndrome and cubital tunnel syndrome of both upper extremities, but remanded claims for service connection for sinusitis, calcified lymph nodes on the lungs, and cervical strain.
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