The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, bilateral knee disorder, foot fungus disorder, hypertension (claimed as high blood pressure), and low back disorder have all been denied. The Board found no evidence of these conditions during service or within one year post-service.,There is no current evidence linking any of the Veteran's claimed disabilities to his active duty service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not report hearing loss or tinnitus symptoms in service, and there was no objective medical evidence of a hearing loss disability during service. The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran’s tinnitus is due to presbycusis (normal aging).,Service treatment records showed normal knees upon separation, and arthritis was not noted within one year post-service. There were no manifestations of knee disorders or arthritis in service.,The Veteran did not report foot fungus symptoms during service, and there are no objective medical findings linking the condition to his active duty service. The Board found that the remote onset of the disorder is unrelated to service.,Hypertension was not noted upon separation, nor were any manifestations of hypertension within one year post-service. There is no evidence linking the Veteran's current hypertension to his active duty service.,The Veteran did not report low back symptoms during service, and there are no objective medical findings linking arthritis (a chronic disease) to his active duty service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss Disability, Tinnitus, Bilateral Knee Disorder, Foot Fungus Disorder, Hypertension (claimed as High Blood Pressure), Low Back Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 6, 2020
- Citation
- 20000731
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,480 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20000731.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed his appeals regarding increased ratings for tinnitus and a right hand disability due to lack of timely filing of Notice of Disagreement.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including GAD, MDD, bruxism, migraines/headaches, tinnitus, hip pain, iliotibial band syndrome, and leg stress fractures. The evidence does not support current diagnoses of these conditions during the appeal period.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes planus with hammer toes, hallux valgus and degenerative arthritis, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral kidney cysts, rendered him unable to secure or follow gainful employment. The Board granted the TDIU based on these conditions.
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