The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back, neck, right ankle, right knee, and right shoulder conditions as there is no credible evidence of in-service injury or disease that would support a finding of service connection.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s reports of an in-service fall causing injuries are internally inconsistent with his treatment records and previous statements, and the absence of documentation of such events within service records diminishes their credibility.
- Claimed conditions
- low back strain, cervical spondylosis, right ankle sprain, right knee osteoarthritis, right glenohumeral arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 2, 2020
- Citation
- 20064398
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent rating for the service-connected right ankle sprain, but denied an increased rating in excess of 20 percent.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection, higher ratings, and earlier effective dates, as well as dismissed his claim for a TDIU.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for hypertension and remanded the claims for bilateral tinnitus, right knee osteoarthritis, and left knee osteoarthritis due to inadequate medical evidence.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to follow and secure substantially gainful employment, thus a total disability rating for individual unemployability is granted.
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