The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a back disorder and bilateral hearing loss. The decision also granted an initial rating of 20% for his service-connected left knee disability, effective March 27, 2008.,The veteran was not shown to have a current diagnosis of a back disorder or bilateral hearing loss that is related to service or a service-connected condition.
The deciding factor: The Board found no evidence linking the veteran's claimed back and hearing loss disabilities to his military service. The medical records did not indicate any such conditions during or after service, and there was no indication of current diagnoses for these conditions.,For the left knee disability, the Board noted that the condition had been previously granted but with a lower initial rating. The new evaluation increased it to 20% effective March 27, 2008.
- Claimed conditions
- Back Disorder, Bilateral Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 5, 2008
- Citation
- 0841981
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0841981.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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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