The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including psychiatric disorders, right hip disability, shin splints, upper respiratory infections, low back and cervical spine disabilities, as well as radiculopathy and sciatica in the lower extremities. The only positive decision was a 10 percent rating granted for eustachian tube dysfunction with vertigo.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a finding of service connection due to lack of in-service injury or disease, absence of symptoms within one year post-service, and no current disability related to the claimed conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- psychiatric disorder, right hip disability, right and left shin splints, upper respiratory infection to include chronic sore throat, strep throat, airway issues, low back disability, cervical spine disability, right and left upper extremity radiculopathy, right and left lower extremity sciatica, hypercholesterolemia and hyperlipidemia, left shoulder disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- May 1, 2025
- Citation
- A25040398
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 a 20 percent disability rating for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy from April 3, 2023 onward, but denied higher ratings prior to that date. Service connection was also granted for alcohol use disorder as secondary to PTSD with traumatic brain injury.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the veteran's claimed conditions, including right shoulder arthritis, left shoulder arthritis, right hip condition, left hip condition, low back disability, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, as there was no evidence of in-service injury or illness related to these conditions.
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