The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and an increased rating for her fracture of the left middle phalanx with internal fixation, laceration, and numbness. The veteran was not granted service connection for hearing loss as it was determined to be unrelated to her military service. For the fracture claim, the Board found that a 10 percent disability evaluation was appropriate.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the veteran's hearing loss was more likely familial in origin and not related to service, while the orthopedic examination indicated that the left hand disability had resulted from her military duties including noise exposure at the firing range and dog kennels. The examiner noted that the noise exposure did not equate to true acoustic trauma.
- Claimed conditions
- hearing loss, fracture of the left middle phalanx
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- January 24, 2005
- Citation
- 0501637
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 0501637.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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The Board granted a 50 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and denied increased ratings for right shoulder impingement syndrome, hearing loss, painful scar, patellofemoral pain syndromes of the knees, and other conditions.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for a left wrist condition was dismissed due to concurrent election of higher-level review. The claims for an initial compensable rating for bilateral pes planus, and for service connection for hearing loss, neck strain, and dermatitis were denied.
- Dismissed
The claims for service connection for hearing loss and a left knee condition were dismissed due to an untimely notice of disagreement filed more than one year after the October 2022 rating decision.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection, higher ratings, and earlier effective dates, as well as dismissed his claim for a TDIU.
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