The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions are denied. The Board found no evidence linking the claimed disabilities to his military service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners concluded that there was insufficient medical evidence to support a nexus between the Veteran’s current diagnoses and his military service, particularly given the lack of documented complaints or treatment related to these conditions during service.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar degenerative disc disease (low back disability), radiculopathy, sciatic nerve, right lower extremity, radiculopathy, sciatic nerve, left lower extremity, degenerative arthritis of the right hip, degenerative arthritis of the left hip, degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, rheumatoid arthritis (as implied by degenerative arthritis), right knee strain, lateral collateral ligament sprain, right ankle, lateral collateral ligament sprain, left ankle
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- October 31, 2019
- Citation
- A19002451
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for left knee strain, right knee strain, right wrist strain, and TBI. The Veteran's PTSD rating was remanded for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hip and knee disabilities, as well as a TDIU claim, to ensure adequate VA examinations are conducted.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for left hip iliopsoas tendonitis, right knee strain, and left knee strain as secondary to lumbosacral strain. Service connection was also granted for cannabis use disorder as secondary to mental health conditions of PTSD, major depressive disorder with alcohol use disorder, and TBI. However, the Board denied an initial disability rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD and granted a separate disability rating of 40 percent for TBI.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an increased rating for right knee strain and instability but granted a separate 10 percent rating for right knee limitation of extension from November 25, 2024.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.