The Veteran's eye disability is denied as there is no current diagnosis and the September 1982 treatment for irritated eyes resolved.,Tinnitus is denied as it did not begin during service or be related to any in-service injury or disease. The September 2014 VA examiner opined that tinnitus is at least as likely as not a symptom of hearing loss, which the Veteran does not have.,The skin disability on legs and feet is denied as there was no diagnosed condition during service and no evidence of continuity of symptoms after discharge.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include schizophrenia, is denied as there was no in-service onset or disease. The Veteran's North Carolina Army National Guard enlistment examination did not show any psychiatric disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current disability for each condition and that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection due to lack of an in-service event, injury or disease.
- Claimed conditions
- eye disability, tinnitus, skin disability on legs and feet, acquired psychiatric disability, to include schizophrenia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 12, 2019
- Citation
- 19193536
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 19193536.
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 Board remands the claim for service connection for tinnitus to correct a duty to assist error, as the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset and continuity of symptoms were not adequately considered in the previous decision.
- 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 tinnitus, cubital tunnel syndrome, right plantar fasciitis, and a right knee disability due to the lack of evidence supporting a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of April 25, 2022, for the award of service connection for tinnitus and a 100 percent initial rating for PTSD with alcohol use disorder.
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