The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, flat feet, tinnitus, and plantar fasciitis have been denied. The Board found no current disabilities of these conditions at the time of filing or during the pendency of the claim.,Service connection has also not been granted for rhinitis, migraine headaches, and OSA (secondary to PTSD). These claims are remanded as there is insufficient evidence regarding their onset in service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran does not have current disabilities of bilateral hearing loss or flat feet that meet VA criteria for a disability. The Board found no recent diagnoses prior to the filing of her claims.,For tinnitus, the VA examiner determined it was less likely than not caused by service exposure due to lack of evidence of in-service symptoms and threshold changes. For plantar fasciitis, there is no indication that it began during or immediately after service.,The Veteran's rhinitis, migraine headaches, GERD, and OSA are all remanded as the VA examiner could not establish an in-service onset or relationship to service based on lack of evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Flat Feet, Tinnitus, Plantar Fasciitis, Rhinitis, Migraine Headaches, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 27, 2024
- Citation
- A24078767
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation A24078767.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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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