The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD due to MST is denied as there is no credible evidence of an in-service event, injury or disease.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee injury is denied as there is no credible evidence of an in-service event, injury or disease.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for left shoulder condition is denied as there is no credible evidence of an in-service event, injury or disease.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for intestinal problems is denied as there is no current diagnosis of such disability.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as the Veteran does not have a hearing loss disability for VA purposes.
The deciding factor: There is no credible evidence to support the Veteran’s assertions regarding an in-service onset of PTSD due to MST. The Veteran's STRs do not reflect any complaints or treatment related to such condition.,The Veteran's STRs show treatment for other conditions but not a knee disability, and they reflect normal clinical orthopedic evaluations with no complaints of knee disabilities.,The Veteran's STRs show treatment for other minor ailments, suggesting that the absence of treatment in service is indicative of a lack of an in-service injury. There are no STRs reflecting any complaints or treatment related to shoulder/neck pain.,There is no current diagnosis of intestinal problems as per the Veteran’s VA treatment records and the August 2015 VA examination did not find any such disability.,The Veteran's STRs show treatment for gastroenteritis in June 2014, but there are no complaints or findings indicating a chronic condition. The August 2015 VA audiologist found that the Veteran does not have hearing loss disability.
- Claimed conditions
- posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), left knee injury, left shoulder condition, intestinal problems, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19189989
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,455 · Granted: 23% (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 19189989.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and PTSD. The Veteran will be asked to provide additional medical records and undergo a VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his alleged stressors.
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