The veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss was granted. The initial rating for his left knee injury from March 25, 1997, to March 24, 2002, remains denied.,For the period of time from March 25, 1997, to March 24, 2002, the veteran's claim for an increased rating was not granted. The initial rating for his left knee injury and arthritis was granted at 30 percent effective April 11, 2002.,The veteran's claims for higher ratings on both his left knee injuries and right fingers were denied.
The deciding factor: Service connection for the left ear hearing loss was established based on evidence of a service-connected condition. The VA did not find any new or material evidence to reopen this claim.,For the period from March 25, 1997, to March 24, 2002, there was no evidence of instability or other significant impairment warranting a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 5257. The VA found that the veteran's knee function remained within normal limits.,For the period from April 11, 2002, to May 1, 2002, there was evidence of moderate limitation in range of motion and arthritis, warranting a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 5260. The VA found that these findings were significant enough to justify an increased rating.,The veteran's claim for higher ratings on his right fingers did not meet the criteria set forth in Diagnostic Codes applicable to such injuries.
- Claimed conditions
- Left knee injury, Left ear hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- January 22, 2007
- Citation
- 0701775
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 0701775.
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.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability does not meet or approximate criteria for a compensable (10%) disability rating at any point during the appeal period.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss and service connection for left ear hearing loss due to inadequate audiometric examinations. The Veteran will be scheduled for new VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his left ear hearing loss and the severity of his hearing loss.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's liver disability has not resulted in any compensable symptoms, as he had a previous history of liver disease but is currently asymptomatic.,The Veteran's left ear hearing loss has been rated at noncompensable level due to the absence of more than Level I hearing acuity.
- Granted
The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from August 6, 2008 due to the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability.
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