The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, left upper extremity nerve condition (secondary to degenerative arthritis with intervertebral disc syndrome, neck condition), headaches, left knee strain, and tinnitus. The claims for obstructive sleep apnea, urinary frequency, and voiding dysfunction were remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's cervical spine disability, left upper extremity radiculopathy, headaches, left knee strain, and tinnitus had their onset in service. The Board granted service connection for these conditions based on this balance of evidence. For the claims remanded, a medical opinion was needed due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, Left upper extremity nerve condition (secondary to degenerative arthritis with intervertebral disc syndrome, neck condition), Headaches, Left knee strain, Tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 5, 2025
- Citation
- A25040883
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of May 17, 2019, for a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD but denied earlier effective dates for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Partly granted
The Board granted readjudication of previously denied claims for service connection for PTSD and COPD, while remanding other issues including entitlement to service connection for an eye disorder, hypertension, tinnitus, a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, TDIU, and an initial rating for PTSD.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus due to a lack of jurisdiction.
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