The Board denied service connection for a low back disability, granted service connection for chronic sinusitis, and denied service connection for hemorrhoids. The Veteran's tinnitus was assigned a 10 percent evaluation throughout the appeal period.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence of a current low back disability or chronic sinusitis that began during service, and the Board found insufficient medical nexus to establish a direct relationship between any current disabilities and service.
- Claimed conditions
- Low back disability (arthritis), Chronic sinusitis, Hemorrhoids
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- January 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19106915
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 appeal for higher ratings and effective dates for various conditions was denied, with the exception of left and right lower extremity radiculopathy which were granted an earlier effective date.
- Dismissed
The appeal was withdrawn by the Veteran before the Board promulgated a decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of increased rating for back disability, service connection for sleep apnea, left heel, and hemorrhoids, as well as entitlement to a TDIU prior to August 1, 2025, for additional development.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeals for higher ratings on all claims due to untimely Notices of Disagreement.
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