The veteran's sinusitis/rhinitis is rated at 30 percent, while his bilateral high frequency hearing loss and hiatal hernia with deformed duodenal bulb are each rated at 10 percent. The veteran's pterygium does not result in any vision loss.
The deciding factor: The veteran has chronic sinusitis with more than six non-incapacitating episodes in a year, warranting a 30% rating under the criteria for chronic sinusitis. His bilateral high frequency hearing loss is rated at 10 percent based on his puretone threshold average and speech recognition scores. The hiatal hernia does not meet the criteria for higher ratings due to its symptoms being less severe than those required for a 30% rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral High Frequency Hearing Loss, Bilateral Pterygium, Hiatal Hernia with Deformed Duodenal Bulb, Sinusitis/Rhinitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- October 18, 2006
- Citation
- 0632461
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,738 · Granted: 17% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0632461.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating of his service-connected bilateral pterygium is being remanded due to a duty to assist error. A new VA examination is required to assess the current severity of the condition.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance but denied for housebound status.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded several claims related to PTSD, shoulder conditions, COPD, and pterygium. The Veteran's service-connected conditions will need further evaluation by VA examiners.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) due to the Veteran's service-connected Sinusitis/Rhinitis, finding a balance of positive and negative evidence in favor of this claim.
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