The Board denied service connection for tinnitus and denied initial ratings in excess of 20 percent for lumbosacral spine intervertebral disc syndrome, degenerative arthritis, radiculopathy, and left knee degenerative arthritis. The Board also denied an initial compensable rating for a right wrist scar and limitation of extension of the left knee.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran's tinnitus or any other condition was related to service, and the symptoms described by the Veteran were found to be transient ear noise rather than tinnitus. The Board also determined that the Veteran's right wrist scar and musculoskeletal conditions did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, semi-circular scar of the right wrist (claimed as scar-right wrist region), lumbosacral spine intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) and degenerative arthritis, left lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve), right lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve), left knee degenerative arthritis, limitation of extension of the left knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 20, 2025
- Citation
- A25101227
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,762 · Granted: 24% (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 A25101227.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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