The Veteran's claim for partial amputation of the left finger is denied due to insufficient evidence.,The Veteran's claim for residuals of a broken left clavicle or collar bone is denied as there is no evidence linking it to service.,The Veteran's claim for residuals of a broken left leg is denied without sufficient evidence.,The Veteran's claim for residuals of a broken right hip is denied due to insufficient evidence.,The Veteran's claim for residuals of a broken right knee is denied based on lack of evidence.,The Veteran's claim for hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence linking it to service.,The Veteran's claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder (unspecified depressive disorder) is granted, with the condition believed to have begun during service and aggravated by other conditions.
The deciding factor: There is insufficient evidence to show that the Veteran has a current partially amputated finger or any residual from a broken left clavicle or collar bone related to his active service.,The Veteran's left leg injury does not meet the evidentiary requirements for service connection as there is no indication of an in-service event, injury, or disease.,There is insufficient evidence to show that the Veteran has a current broken right hip condition and it was not linked to his active service.,The Veteran's right knee pain is attributed to a motor vehicle accident after separation from active duty, rather than being related to service.,Service medical records do not indicate any complaints or diagnoses of hearing loss during service. The Veteran’s worsening hearing is believed to be unrelated to service.,There is insufficient evidence to show that the Veteran's unspecified depressive disorder began in service and continues uninterrupted since separation from active duty.
- Claimed conditions
- Partial amputation of left finger, Broken left clavicle or collar bone, Broken left leg, Broken right hip, Broken right knee, Hearing loss, Acquired psychiatric disorder (unspecified depressive disorder)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 2, 2019
- Citation
- 19151642
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,350 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 19151642.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's hearing loss and low back strain claims are remanded for further evaluation. The hearing loss claim is denied, while the low back strain claim requires additional examination to determine its severity.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss disability is not related to military noise exposure and there is no evidence of a nexus between in-service noise exposure and his current condition.
- Granted
The Veteran's entitlement to higher level of SMC at the intermediate rate is granted, effective from January 8, 2021. He was previously in need of aid and attendance due to his left knee disability since February 1, 2017, and now has additional disabilities rated at 50 percent or more.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the hearing loss claim due to incomplete records and the need for a VA examination. The Veteran's hearing loss may be related to service or secondary to his service-connected cerumen impaction.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.