The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, lumbosacral strain, bilateral hearing loss, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, feet disorder, sleep apnea, and vestibular disorder have been denied.,An effective date prior to January 4, 2016, for the award of service connection for these conditions has also been denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran had any hearing loss disability by VA standards at any time during the appeal period.,For the knee and feet disorders, the Board finds the Veteran must be afforded a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any current bilateral knee and/or feet disorder(s).,The evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to service or his PTSD.,The evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's vestibular disorder is related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Lumbosacral strain, Bilateral hearing loss, Right knee disorder, Left knee disorder, Feet disorder, Sleep apnea, Vestibular disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 18, 2018
- Citation
- 18158503
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 18158503.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied an initial disability rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, finding the appellant's symptoms did not more closely approximate occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to an inadequate medical opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the Veteran's claims for additional VA examinations to properly evaluate the current severity of her disabilities.
- Granted
The Board granted a disability rating of 70 percent for PTSD and a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.