The Board denied service connection for a back disability, left hip disability, left foot disability, and right ear hearing loss disability. Service connection was granted for pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB).,Service connection for bilateral knee disability and an initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss disability are remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not establish a link between the claimed conditions and service, or any other relevant factors. The Board found that the appellant's current disabilities were not related to his military service.,VA has not evaluated the severity of the left ear hearing loss disability for over six years, which is required by VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- Back Disability, Left Hip Disability, Left Foot Disability, Right Ear Hearing Loss Disability, Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 1, 2019
- Citation
- 19115583
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,902 · Granted: 11% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19115583.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The appeal to revise the effective date for a 50% disability rating for Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB) is dismissed because the July 2024 proposed rating decision was not an appealable determination.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's initial noncompensable rating for PFB is denied as the condition did not manifest through scarring or disfigurement during the appeal period.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has denied service connection for the claimed conditions as there is no persuasive evidence of current diagnoses or in-service incurrence or aggravation.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection of chronic fatigue syndrome and vertigo are being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. The PFB claim is denied as the disability does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.
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