The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including hearing loss, tinnitus, allergic rhinitis, dyslipidemia, and several musculoskeletal disorders are denied.,Service connection is not granted for the following conditions: low back disorder, chronic myositis of the paralumbar spine muscles, right hip disorder, left hip disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, right foot disorder, and left foot disorder. Heart disease and diabetes mellitus are also denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support a direct relationship between the Veteran's service and his current conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Hearing loss, Tinnitus, Allergic rhinitis, Dyslipidemia, Low back disorder, Chronic myositis, paralumbar spine muscles, Right hip disorder, Left hip disorder, Right knee disorder, Left knee disorder, Right ankle disorder, Left ankle disorder, Right foot disorder, Left foot disorder, Heart disease, Diabetes mellitus, Diabetic neuropathy of the right upper extremity, Diabetic neuropathy of the left upper extremity, Diabetic neuropathy of the right lower extremity, Diabetic neuropathy of the left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20067975
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 service connection for chronic headaches, CFS, dermatosis, bilateral RLS, a lumbar spine disability, and sleep apnea but denied a compensable evaluation for allergic rhinitis.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for annual clothing allowances for a left knee sleeve, A&D ointment, hydrocortisone cream, and incontinence briefs due to lack of service connection or evidence that these items cause irreparable damage to outer garments.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent rating for the Veteran's left knee strain, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and service connection for a right ankle disorder. Other claims were denied or remanded.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
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