The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, a left hand disability, residuals status post right boxer fracture of the fifth finger, and a bilateral hip disability. The effective date for the grants of service connection for certain conditions was set to October 28, 2020.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a finding that any of the claimed conditions were related to active service or otherwise incurred as a result of military service.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, left hand disability, right boxer fracture of the fifth finger, bilateral hip disability, right knee strain with meniscal tear, left knee strain with meniscal tear, shin splints, bilateral plantar fasciitis, right hammer toe, left hammer toe, right shoulder strain with degenerative arthritis, labral tear, tendinitis and subacromial/subdeltoid bursitis, right shoulder recurrent dislocation, degenerative arthritis to include DDD other than IVDS
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 4, 2025
- Citation
- A25031515
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 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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for special monthly compensation based on loss of use of his left foot, as there was no evidence showing that the service-connected conditions resulted in functional limitation equal to that of amputation of the left foot with prosthesis.
- 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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