The veteran's appeal for higher ratings on his back injury residuals and associated radiculopathy was denied. The initial rating of 20 percent for the back injury with a claimed kidney condition is maintained, as well as separate 10 percent ratings for radiculopathy affecting both lower extremities.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners found that the veteran's lumbar spine had moderate limitation of motion and no severe impairment. The radiculopathy was also rated at its maximum due to mild impairment in strength, reflexes, and sensation.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Residuals of a Back Injury with claimed kidney condition, Radiculopathy of the Left Lower Extremity associated with the back injury residuals, Radiculopathy of the Right Lower Extremity associated with the back injury residuals
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- March 4, 2008
- Citation
- 0807268
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 0807268.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his active service. The Board noted that while he had complaints of earaches in service, these did not indicate a current disability.
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