The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for increased ratings of bilateral hearing loss, epicondylitis of the left elbow, and herpes simplex of the left knee area are denied as there is no evidence to warrant a compensable rating under the applicable VA rating criteria.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence does not support the assignment of any higher ratings for the veteran's service-connected conditions based on the current medical findings and the applicable rating criteria.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Epicondylitis of the Left Elbow, Herpes Simplex of the Left Knee Area
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 13, 2000
- Citation
- 0018431
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 0018431.
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 bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for asbestosis, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rhinitis, sinusitis, and asthma. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was also denied a compensable rating.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, entitlement to TDIU, and SMC based on housebound status.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities and denied higher ratings for several service-connected conditions.
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