The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a right knee disability, left ankle disability, tinnitus, sleep apnea, or skin condition of the total body that began during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease. The skin condition of the total body is considered secondary to his service-connected idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that any current right knee disability, left ankle disability, tinnitus, sleep apnea, or skin condition began during service or is related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.
- Claimed conditions
- right knee disability, left ankle disability, tinnitus, sleep apnea, skin condition of the total body
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 20, 2018
- Citation
- 18151769
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 18151769.
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 Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has expanded the scope of the claim to include any mental health disorder raised by the record and has remanded for additional development regarding service connection for left leg, ankle, and psychiatric disabilities.
- 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.
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