The veteran's nonservice-connected disabilities, including right knee degenerative arthritis, cervical and lumbar spinal stenosis with degenerative joint disease, tension headaches, bilateral hearing loss, hemorrhoids, and alcohol dependence, do not render him unemployable due to his back and neck problems. His combined evaluation is 30 percent.
The deciding factor: The veteran's disabilities are rated at the lowest possible levels for each condition, resulting in a combined rating of 30 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a permanent and total disability rating for pension purposes.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Knee Degenerative Arthritis, Left Knee Degenerative Arthritis, Degenerative Joint Disease of the Cervical Spine, Degenerative Joint Disease of the Thoracic Spine, Degenerative Joint Disease of the Lumbar Spine, Tension Headaches, Bilateral Hearing Loss, Hemorrhoids, Alcohol Dependence
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- September 20, 2002
- Citation
- 0212639
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 0212639.
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.
- 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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