The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for left foot disability and bilateral ankle disability, as well as his claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss. The decision also noted that the veteran's tinnitus was rated at the maximum under the old criteria but no evidence showed it presented an exceptional disability picture.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners found no medical evidence linking the current disabilities to service, and opined that any current foot and ankle conditions are likely congenital rather than related to service. The hearing loss and tinnitus were rated at their maximum under the old criteria without showing an exceptional disability picture.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Foot Disability, Bilateral Ankle Disability, Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 27, 2002
- Citation
- 0210602
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 0210602.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- 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.
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