The Veteran's appeals for service connection were dismissed. The Board found that the evidence did not support reopening or granting any of the claims, including those for bilateral hearing loss and varicose veins.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not provide sufficient new and material evidence to reopen his previously denied claims for drug addiction, alcohol addiction, bilateral hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, bilateral varicose veins, or right lower extremity varicose veins. The Board also found that the evidence did not support service connection for these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- drug addiction, alcohol addiction, bilateral hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, right lower extremity varicose veins, bilateral varicose veins
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- April 23, 2019
- Citation
- 19131098
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- 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.
- 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).
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent disability rating for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy from April 3, 2023 onward, but denied higher ratings prior to that date. Service connection was also granted for alcohol use disorder as secondary to PTSD with traumatic brain injury.
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