Service connection is granted for cervical strain with right upper extremity radiculopathy. Service connection is denied for bilateral hearing loss, left shoulder disorder, anxiety disorder, hemorrhoids, left knee disability, and right knee disability.
The deciding factor: The VA clinician found that the Veteran's current cervical strain with right upper extremity radiculopathy was incurred in service based on a STR indicating neck pain from an injury sustained during hand-to-hand combat training. There is no evidence of hearing loss or any other claimed conditions during service, and there is insufficient evidence to establish continuity of symptoms since service.
- Claimed conditions
- cervical strain, bilateral hearing loss, left shoulder disorder, anxiety disorder, hemorrhoids, left knee disability, right knee disability, sleep disturbances
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 23, 2026
- Citation
- A26025627
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 A26025627.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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 appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
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