The Veteran's claim for service connection for PAD, due to exposure at Camp Lejeune, is granted.,Service connection for tinnitus is granted as the evidence shows it began during service and persists.,Service connection for a left wrist condition is denied.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,Service connection for tension headaches is denied.,Service connection for left side sciatic nerve damage is denied.,Service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy is denied.
The deciding factor: New evidence, including the Veteran's statements and updated VA treatment records, suggests that his PAD may be due to service exposure at Camp Lejeune. This raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the underlying claim.,The Veteran has credible testimony regarding tinnitus beginning in service and persisting since then. The November 2016 VA examiner confirmed this history and linked it to military noise exposure, supporting the grant of service connection for tinnitus.,There is no evidence showing a left wrist condition was incurred or aggravated by service.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not begin in service or within one year post-service. The current evidence does not establish a nexus between his current hearing loss and service.,Chronic tension headaches are not shown in the record.,Left side sciatic nerve damage is not shown in the record.,Right lower extremity radiculopathy is not shown in the record.
- Claimed conditions
- Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), Tinnitus, Left Wrist Condition, Left Side Sciatic Nerve Damage, Right Lower Extremity Radiculopathy, Bilateral Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 8, 2018
- Citation
- 18148699
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 18148699.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- 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.
- 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 Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
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