The Board has dismissed the appeal regarding service connection for tinnitus. The July 2008 rating decision denying service connection for a bilateral foot disorder became final, and no new and material evidence was received to reopen this claim. For the entire rating period on appeal from March 29, 2010, the criteria for an increased disability rating in excess of 10 percent for the right knee disability have not been met or more nearly approximated. The Veteran is granted a separate 20 percent disability rating for moderate instability of the right knee. For the entire rating period on appeal from March 29, 2010, the criteria for an increased disability rating in excess of 10 percent for the left knee disability have not been met or more nearly approximated. The Veteran is granted a separate 10 percent disability rating for mild instability of the left knee.
The deciding factor: The new and material evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating service connection for a bilateral foot disorder as it did not establish a nexus between the condition and active service.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, bilateral foot disorder, right knee injury with calcium in patellar ligament (right knee disability), mild degenerative changes of the left knee (left knee disability)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 15, 2018
- Citation
- 1815384
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 1815384.
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 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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