The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnoses of degenerative arthrosis, right hand disability, DDD, lumbar spine, and tinnitus did not have their onset in service or within a year of separation. The preponderance of evidence is against finding any direct relationship between these conditions and active military service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's current diagnoses were less likely related to his service due to lack of continuity of symptomatology, absence of medical records indicating ongoing issues during or immediately after service, and no supporting medical opinion linking the current conditions to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthrosis, first right metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint, Right hand disability, Degenerative disc disease (DDD), lumbar spine, Tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 24, 2020
- Citation
- 20055821
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 20055821.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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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