The Board has granted a 20 percent evaluation for left arm pain with sensory changes of the fingers, which is equivalent to the combined rating sought by the veteran's representative. The claim for an increased (compensable) disability evaluation for bilateral hearing loss remains denied as there is no evidence that the current noncompensable rating does not adequately reflect the severity of the condition. A separate 10 percent evaluation has been granted for tinnitus, which is found to be related to service.
The deciding factor: The Board considered all submitted medical evidence and determined that a compensable evaluation (20%) was warranted for left arm pain with sensory changes of the fingers due to its impact on the veteran's daily life. For bilateral hearing loss, the Board noted that the current noncompensable rating adequately reflects the severity of the condition as evidenced by recent audiometric evaluations showing mild to severe high frequency sensorineural hearing loss in both ears.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- July 9, 2003
- Citation
- 0315252
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 0315252.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for depressive disorder as secondary to hypertension and tinnitus, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an increased rating for hypertension.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but remanded the claim for degenerative disc disease with degenerative arthritis.
- Partly granted
The Board granted readjudication of previously denied claims for service connection for PTSD and COPD, while remanding other issues including entitlement to service connection for an eye disorder, hypertension, tinnitus, a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, TDIU, and an initial rating for PTSD.
- 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.
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