The Board granted service connection for the veteran's lumbosacral strain and assigned a 10 percent evaluation effective from June 1, 1965. The RO also granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of L4-S1 with radiculopathy and assigned a 40 percent evaluation effective from May 15, 1997. The veteran's fractured left fibula was rated as noncompensable. Bilateral hearing loss was not considered due to lack of evidence.
The deciding factor: The RO found that the veteran's lumbosacral strain and degenerative disc disease with radiculopathy warranted a higher evaluation based on his symptoms, including paresthesia in the right leg and foot region post-surgery. The fractured left fibula was rated noncompensable as there were no objective clinical findings of arthritis or malunion/nonunion. Bilateral hearing loss was not considered due to lack of evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- Lumbosacral Strain, Degenerative Disc Disease of L4-S1 with Radiculopathy, Fractured Left Fibula, Bilateral Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- August 23, 2002
- Citation
- 0210394
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 0210394.
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.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his active service. The Board noted that while he had complaints of earaches in service, these did not indicate a current disability.
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