The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including low back strain, bilateral plantar fasciitis, eye disability, left and right elbow disability, right finger disability, carpal tunnel syndrome, left and right hand disability, sleep disturbances, and a left hip disability. The claims were denied due to the lack of evidence supporting a link between these conditions and the Veteran's service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was no credible evidence linking the claimed disabilities to the Veteran's military service, as he failed to report for scheduled VA examinations and did not provide sufficient medical evidence to establish a connection.
- Claimed conditions
- low back strain, bilateral plantar fasciitis, eye disability, left elbow disability, right elbow disability, left hand disability, right hand disability, right finger disability, right carpal tunnel syndrome, sleep disturbances, left hip disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 15, 2025
- Citation
- A25043799
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.
- Granted
The Board granted a separate rating of 10 percent for bilateral plantar fasciitis effective February 1, 2023.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the appeal for further examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's bilateral upper extremity disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial rating of 70 percent for the Veteran's service-connected depressive disorder due to another medical condition with depressive features and generalized anxiety disorder, denied a higher rating for his migraine including migraine variants, and denied ratings for other conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including bilateral plantar fasciitis, chronic pain syndrome, sciatic radicular pain of both legs, traumatic brain injury (TBI), shin splints of both legs, thoracic spondylosis, right shoulder strain, right wrist strain, acne, and allergic rhinitis.
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