The Veteran's service connection claims for a back disability and right knee disability are denied as the preponderance of evidence does not support their onset or relationship to service.,Service connection for PTSD is also denied, with an initial rating in excess of 50 percent being denied due to lack of objective medical findings of a current disability.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's STRs do not show any treatment or diagnosis related to his claimed back and right knee disabilities. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence does not support their onset during service.,While the Veteran reported symptoms, he is not competent to provide a nexus opinion regarding the relationship between his current PTSD disability and service.
- Claimed conditions
- Back disability, Right knee disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 11, 2019
- Citation
- 19128429
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for chronic headaches, CFS, dermatosis, bilateral RLS, a lumbar spine disability, and sleep apnea but denied a compensable evaluation for allergic rhinitis.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial rating of 20 percent for right lower extremity (RLE) radiculopathy but remanded the back disability claim for further development.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including an acquired psychiatric disability, headaches, a back disability, heart disability, and residuals of a stroke, as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's active service or caused by his service-connected left ear disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Board denied the claims for an initial compensable rating for left ear sensorineural hearing loss, service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability, and a left eye disorder. However, it granted service connection for a back disability and radiculopathy of both lower extremities as secondary to the back disability.
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