The veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, an initial compensable evaluation for degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine, and an initial compensable evaluation for gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) were denied. The claims for increased evaluations for post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic migraine headaches, and degenerative arthritis of the right ankle are remanded.
The deciding factor: The veteran's hearing loss was not shown to be a disability under VA criteria, his cervical spine condition did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation, and he had no evidence of GERD that warranted a compensable rating. The other claims were remanded due to insufficient evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, Degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine, Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), Post-traumatic stress disorder, Chronic migraine headaches, Degenerative arthritis of the right ankle
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 6, 2009
- Citation
- 0900372
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's most recent claim was filed on May 23, 2017.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a bilateral sensorineural hearing loss disability as the evidence did not support that it began during active service or manifested to a compensable degree within the first post-service year, or was otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.
- Granted
The Board granted a disability rating of 20 percent but no higher for the Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a cervical spine disability to obtain an adequate medical opinion addressing both causation and aggravation.
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