The Veteran's claims for various conditions, including PTSD, were denied effective from the date of receipt of his claim in September 1989. The Board found that an earlier effective date was not warranted due to the finality of the prior decisions and the lack of a valid appeal.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's initial claims for service connection became final due to the denial of his character of discharge issue, which prevented him from initiating an appeal of the underlying service connection issues. The duty to reconsider under §3.156(c) did not apply as the April 2011 decision was a non-reconsideration.
- Claimed conditions
- right hip joint replacement with history of trochanteris pain syndrome (also claimed as arthritis), scar, residual of right hip replacement, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (also claimed as anxiety condition and sleep disturbances), diabetes mellitus, type II with erectile dysfunction (claimed as impotence), diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity femoral nerve, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity sciatic nerve, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity femoral nerve, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity sciatic nerve, tinnitus, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (claimed as heart palpitations, ischemic heart disease, and leaking valve), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), acneiform disease (also claimed as skin condition), internal or external hemorrhoids
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 28, 2024
- Citation
- A24015205
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 A24015205.
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 has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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