The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were previously decided in a September 2021 rating decision, appealed to the Board in November 2021, and adjudicated by the Board in an October 29, 2024, decision. The appeal of these issues is dismissed.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for neck disability (degenerative arthritis of the spine), right knee condition, right foot plantar fasciitis, left foot plantar fasciitis, and left shoulder disability are denied.
The deciding factor: The Board found that new evidence had been received to readjudicate these issues but did not consider it because they were previously decided on appeal.,The Veteran's current neck condition was not related to his active-duty service or secondary to his service-connected right shoulder disability. The examiner noted no diagnosis of a left shoulder condition and concluded there is insufficient evidence to substantiate the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Neck Disability (degenerative arthritis of the spine), Right Knee Condition, Right Foot Plantar Fasciitis, Left Foot Plantar Fasciitis, Left Shoulder Disability, Right Hand Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Left Hand Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Low Back Disability (degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine), Left Knee Condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 5, 2024
- Citation
- A24072053
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,934 · Granted: 41% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A24072053.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
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