The Board has determined that the appellant does not meet the legal definition of a 'veteran' for VA compensation purposes due to lack of active service, and therefore, his claims for service connection are denied.
The deciding factor: The appellant served in the Puerto Rico Army National Guard but did not have any period of active duty. His ACDUTRA does not qualify as 'active service' under VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- sinus disability, tumor, spot on skin, bone pain, spinal cord disability, high blood pressure, eye disability, cardiological disability, disability characterized by lack of balance, cervical spine disability, allergic rhinitis, bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 27, 2018
- Citation
- 18153049
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 18153049.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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