The Board denied service connection for the veteran's right shoulder, right knee, cervical spine, and bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy disabilities as there was no evidence to support a finding that any of these conditions began during active service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.
The deciding factor: The evidence of record did not persuasively weigh in favor of the claims for service connection, and the earliest records of treatment for each condition were many years after separation from service with no indication that any of these conditions began during active service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.
- Claimed conditions
- right shoulder disability, right knee disability, cervical spine disability, bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 19, 2025
- Citation
- 25006823
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 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.
- 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).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities to the AOJ for further development and consideration of evidence not previously considered.
- 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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