The Board denied the Veteran's petitions to reopen his claims for service connection for bilateral ankle disability, low back disability, right hip disability, and bilateral pes planus. The Board found that new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims. Service connection was also denied for a cyst on the Veteran's back.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not establish a link between the Veteran’s current disabilities and his service or any service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral ankle disability, low back disability, right hip disability, bilateral pes planus, cyst on back
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 16, 2019
- Citation
- 19129605
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, hypertension, and various musculoskeletal and skin disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities to the AOJ for further development and consideration of evidence not previously considered.
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