The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including a neck disability, right ankle disability, left ankle disability, right hip disability, and left hip disability. The Board also denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for a right shoulder strain but granted an effective date of April 1, 2021, for a 20 percent rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a finding that any of the claimed disabilities were related to the Veteran's service or caused by his service-connected low back disability. The Board found no persuasive evidence linking the neck disability to the low back disability, and similar findings were made for the other claimed conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- neck disability, right ankle disability, left ankle disability, right hip disability, left hip disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 12, 2025
- Citation
- A25022863
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 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 service connection for right knee, right hip, and lumbar spine disabilities as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability but denied a rating in excess of 30 percent for his left knee disability prior to April 25, 2019.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and a right hip disability, and granted a 30 percent rating for ureterolithiasis. The claim for an increased rating for PTSD was denied, while other claims were remanded.
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