The veteran's service-connected allergic rhinitis is not presumed to have been incurred due to Agent Orange exposure. The veteran was granted a non-compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and a 20% rating for chronic mechanical low back pain secondary to degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine.
The deciding factor: The Board found that allergic rhinitis is not listed among diseases associated with exposure to certain herbicide agents, thus precluding presumptive service connection. The veteran's bilateral hearing loss met the criteria for a non-compensable rating under VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities. For chronic mechanical low back pain, the Board determined that the disability warranted a 20% evaluation based on moderate intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) symptoms with recurring attacks and flexion limited to 60 degrees at its worst.
- Claimed conditions
- Allergic rhinitis, Bilateral hearing loss, Chronic mechanical low back pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- June 20, 2006
- Citation
- 0617967
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 0617967.
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 chronic headaches, CFS, dermatosis, bilateral RLS, a lumbar spine disability, and sleep apnea but denied a compensable evaluation for allergic rhinitis.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, as there was no evidence of a current disability in the right ear and insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the left ear hearing loss and service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for a medical clarification regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected epilepsy has aggravated his bilateral hearing loss.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss to obtain an addendum opinion addressing the Veteran's lay statements regarding in-service acoustic trauma and a rocket blast injury.
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