The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss, lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, left shoulder disability, left lower extremity disability, and right lower extremity disability as the evidence did not support a finding of an in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.
The deciding factor: The weight of the competent and probative evidence was against finding that the Veteran's current lumbar and cervical spine, left shoulder, and bilateral lower extremity disabilities were due to an in-service disease or injury. Service records did not reveal any in-service incurrence of these disabilities, and there was no evidence demonstrating a nexus between the Veteran's current disabilities and his active service.
- Claimed conditions
- right ear hearing loss, lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, left shoulder disability, left lower extremity disability, right lower extremity disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 21, 2024
- Citation
- A24067458
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent disability rating for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy from April 3, 2023 onward, but denied higher ratings prior to that date. Service connection was also granted for alcohol use disorder as secondary to PTSD with traumatic brain injury.
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