The Board denied service connection for all the claimed conditions as there was no evidence of a current diagnosis or etiological relationship to active duty service.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show that the Veteran had any of the claimed conditions during the appeal period, and there was no evidence linking his claimed conditions to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- traumatic brain injury (TBI), diabetic retinopathy, right knee arthritis, left knee arthritis, right shoulder disorder, left shoulder disorder, right ankle arthritis, malunion of the tarsal/metatarsal bones in left ankle, arthritis of the legs, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine with IVDS status post fusion (back), degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine with IVDS and stenosis (neck), bilateral pes planus with hammer toes, arthritis, and left foot surgery, chronic skin condition manifested by bruising, sores, and recurring skin lesions, hypothyroidism, hypertensive heart disease with congestive heart failure and stable angina, glaucomatous optic atrophy, cataracts, obstructive sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 17, 2025
- Citation
- A25053137
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 service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the appeal to obtain a VA medical opinion that considers the Veteran's contentions of in-service training with heavy gear and equipment.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for left knee strain, right knee strain, right wrist strain, and TBI. The Veteran's PTSD rating was remanded for further development.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
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