The Board denied service connection for various claimed conditions, including a neck disorder, shoulder disorders, upper extremity disorders, back disorder, knee disorders, ankle disorders, sinusitis, hearing loss, and tinnitus. The claims were based on the lack of evidence showing that these conditions are related to the Veteran's active duty service.
The deciding factor: The Board found no evidence supporting a causal relationship between the claimed conditions and the Veteran's military service, including any in-service noise exposure or other incidents during his deployment.
- Claimed conditions
- neck disorder, right shoulder disorder, left shoulder disorder, right upper extremity disorder, left upper extremity disorder, back disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, sinusitis, hearing loss, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 21, 2024
- Citation
- A24067534
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 remands the claim for service connection for tinnitus to correct a duty to assist error, as the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset and continuity of symptoms were not adequately considered in the previous decision.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, cubital tunnel syndrome, right plantar fasciitis, and a right knee disability due to the lack of evidence supporting a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of April 25, 2022, for the award of service connection for tinnitus and a 100 percent initial rating for PTSD with alcohol use disorder.
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