The Veteran's petition to reopen claims of service connection for various conditions were denied. The claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for generalized anxiety disorder was also denied.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence did not support the presence or etiology of the claimed conditions, and there was no clear and unmistakable aggravation of pre-existing bilateral pes planus during service.
- Claimed conditions
- right knee disorder, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, back disorder, tinnitus, bilateral shoulder disorder, bilateral hip disorder, neck disorder, left knee disorder, bilateral foot disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- January 24, 2019
- Citation
- 19105505
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 an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for tinnitus to correct a duty to assist error, as the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset and continuity of symptoms were not adequately considered in the previous decision.
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