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 assigned
- None in this 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation A24078767.
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.
- 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.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.