The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, shoulder disability, spine disability, back injury, hip disability, foot disability, cataracts, heart issues, prostate cancer, and sleep apnea were not shown to have begun during service or be related to an in-service event, injury, or disease.,The Veteran's right knee disability was also not shown to have begun during service or be related to an in-service event, injury, or disease.
The deciding factor: There is no probative evidence showing that the Veteran had any of these conditions during his active service. The Veteran did not report any symptoms related to these conditions on his pre-separation medical history forms and there were no clinical findings indicating such conditions at his separation examination.,The Veteran reported occasional right knee discomfort more than 3 decades after his separation from service, which is inconsistent with a current diagnosis of right knee strain and degenerative changes. The VA examiner opined that the current right knee disability was less likely caused by an in-service event.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Shoulder Disability, Spine Disability, Back Injury, Hip Disability, Foot Disability, Cataracts, Heart Issues, Prostate Cancer, Sleep Apnea, Right Knee Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 9, 2026
- Citation
- A26011967
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 A26011967.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities are rated at 10% each, and the Board finds that higher ratings are not warranted based on the evidence of record.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are not related to his active service, and thus denied both claims for service connection.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disability, finding that there is no evidence to support an etiological relationship between his current condition and his military service.
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