The Board granted service connection for a back disability, left ankle disability, and right elbow disability after new evidence was submitted. The claim for a right shoulder disability was denied. Various knee and scar ratings were either granted or denied.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on the presence of new and relevant evidence that allowed for the reopening of claims for service connection for back, left ankle, and right elbow disabilities, while denying the claim for a right shoulder disability due to lack of an actual diagnosed condition. Knee instability ratings were granted as moderate.
- Claimed conditions
- back disability, left ankle disability, right elbow disability, right shoulder disability, bilateral hearing loss, bilateral tinnitus, acquired psychiatric disorder, to include posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder, and alcohol use disorder, painful left knee scar, nonpainful left knee scar, painful right knee scar, nonpainful right knee scar, painful bone graft donor site scars, painful left wrist scars, nonpainful left wrist scars, two painful lower extremity bone graft scars, left wrist fracture with arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 6, 2025
- Citation
- A25096773
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 3,319 · Granted: 25% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation A25096773.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's right shoulder disability and migraines/chronic headaches are remanded for additional development due to insufficient opinions on the etiology of her conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has expanded the scope of the claim to include any mental health disorder raised by the record and has remanded for additional development regarding service connection for left leg, ankle, and psychiatric disabilities.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
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