The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including ankle, foot, back, and various musculoskeletal issues due to the lack of evidence showing a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
The deciding factor: The denial was based on the failure to provide good cause for missing scheduled VA examinations and insufficient evidence linking the claimed conditions to the Veteran's service.
- Claimed conditions
- Ankle condition, left (also claimed as joint pains and arthritis), Ankle condition, right (also claimed as joint pains and arthritis), Arthritis, right foot (also claimed as joint pain), Foot pain, left (also claimed as foot injury, joint pain and arthritis), Back pain (also claimed as low back condition, joint pains and arthritis), Elevated lead level in blood, Gout (also claimed as arthritis and joint pains), Headaches, Hearing loss, Tinnitus (also claimed as ringing in ears), Hip condition, left, Hip condition, right, Musculoskeletal - knee, right (also claimed as joint pain and arthritis), Musculoskeletal - knee, left (also claimed as joint pain and arthritis), Neck pain (also claimed as joint pain and arthritis), Rhinitis, Shin splints, bilateral, Shoulder pain, left, Shoulder pain, right
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 7, 2025
- Citation
- A25031924
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 asbestosis, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rhinitis, sinusitis, and asthma. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was also denied a compensable rating.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including an acquired psychiatric disability, headaches, a back disability, heart disability, and residuals of a stroke, as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's active service or caused by his service-connected left ear disabilities.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeal in September 2025, stating that she is now 100% permanently and totally disabled effective April 29, 2025.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a disability rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD with TBI and a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for headaches as secondary to PTSD with TBI due to a duty to assist error.
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