The Board denied service connection for right shoulder, low back, left and right knee, as well as left and right foot disabilities due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active service.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a finding that any of the claimed disabilities were related to an in-service injury or event, with the exception of the cervical spine disability which was granted based on a balanced evidentiary review.
- Claimed conditions
- right shoulder strain disability, low back strain disability, left knee patellofemoral syndrome (PFS), right knee PFS, left foot disability, to include metatarsalgia and pes planus, right foot disability, to include metatarsalgia and pes planus, cervical spine (neck) disability, to include neck degenerative disc disease (DDD) and degenerative arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 16, 2025
- Citation
- 25009282
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 claims for service connection for various disabilities to the AOJ for further development and consideration of evidence not previously considered.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a right foot disability and left foot disability as the evidence did not support that the preexisting conditions worsened beyond their natural progression during active duty for training (ACDUTRA).
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for various musculoskeletal conditions of the left and right hands, shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, ankles, and foot, but granted service connection for a right knee disability and fibromyalgia. The decision was based on medical evidence that did not support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions and a TDIU, as the evidence did not support a finding that any of these disabilities were related to the Veteran's military service.
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