The Board granted service connection and assigned a 60 percent rating for coronary artery disease, effective from April 1996. The ratings for intervertebral disc syndrome at L4-L5 level were also granted, with the higher rating of 40 percent effective from May 12, 1998.
The deciding factor: The veteran's heart disease was found to have precluded ordinary manual labor since retirement from service and had a sustained METs level of 4.32, meeting criteria for a 60 percent evaluation under the revised rating schedule.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, coronary artery disease (previously classified as multiple heart diseases with history of hypertension), intervertebral disc syndrome (previously classified as right L4-L5 herniated nucleus pulposus), anxiety disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- December 29, 2000
- Citation
- 0034105
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 0034105.
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.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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