The veteran's claims for service connection for spina bifida and a right knee disability (degenerative joint disease, right knee) were denied. The claim for tinea pedis was granted at 10%, while the claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, left knee chondromalacia patella, and left knee limitation of flexion were all denied.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on a review of the evidence submitted, which did not meet the criteria for an increased rating or service connection in several cases. For spina bifida and right knee degenerative joint disease, new and material evidence was found insufficient to reopen the claims. The veteran's tinea pedis met the criteria for a 10% rating prior to August 17, 2001.
- Claimed conditions
- spina bifida, right knee degenerative joint disease (degenerative joint disease, right knee), bilateral hearing loss, tinea pedis, left knee chondromalacia patella
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 7, 2009
- Citation
- 0900493
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,419 · Granted: 21% (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 0900493.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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