The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including bilateral knee, hearing loss, tinnitus, skin rash, and sleep apnea. The Veteran was granted a 20 percent rating for diabetic neuropathy of the femoral nerve in both lower extremities.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a finding that any of the claimed conditions were incurred in or caused by active service, with the exception of granting a 20 percent rating for diabetic neuropathy of the femoral nerve due to moderate incomplete paralysis.
- Claimed conditions
- right knee condition, left knee condition, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, skin rash, sleep apnea, heart condition (denied in October 2018, reopened and denied again), diabetic neuropathy of the sciatic nerve (right and left lower extremities), diabetic neuropathy of the femoral nerve (right and left lower extremities)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 14, 2025
- Citation
- A25024179
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 various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for tinnitus to correct a duty to assist error, as the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset and continuity of symptoms were not adequately considered in the previous decision.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- 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.
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