The Board denied service connection for the veteran's claimed conditions, including peripheral neuropathy of both upper extremities, left ankle disability, right ankle disability, low back disability, right hip disability, and left hip disability, as there was no evidence of current disabilities or a causal relationship between the in-service events and the claimed conditions.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner's opinions concluded that it was less likely than not that the Veteran's claimed conditions were incurred during active military service, and the record did not contain medical or scientific evidence supporting an association between the in-service TERA and the orthopedic left ankle disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, Peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, Left ankle disability, Right ankle disability, Low back disability, Right hip disability, Left hip disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 4, 2025
- Citation
- A25049562
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a disability rating of 50 percent for the Veteran's left shoulder disability and service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, both secondary to his service-connected left shoulder disability.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a low back disability, residuals of a right foot injury, sinusitis, shortness of breath, allergic rhinitis, and sleep apnea as there was no evidence to support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, type II, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, hypertension, asthma/lung disease, vision disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis, leukocytosis, kidney disease/kidney stones, enlarged prostate, sleep apnea, rheumatoid arthritis, lumbar spine disability, right ankle disability, and left ankle disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for a low back disability and arthritis, to include bilateral hips and knees, due to an inadequate VA examination.
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