The Board has granted service connection for hearing loss and assigned a 10 percent disability rating effective October 27, 2006. For the period prior to June 28, 2008, the Veteran's DDD of the lumbar spine was manifested by forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine greater than 60 degrees and combined range of motion greater than 120 degrees without muscle spasm or guarding severe enough to result in an abnormal gait or spinal contour. Since June 28, 2008, the Veteran's DDD of the lumbar spine has been manifested by forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine to 30 degrees and is rated as 40 percent disabling.
The deciding factor: The evidence supports a finding that the Veteran's hearing loss developed during service due to noise exposure. For his DDD of the lumbar spine, the Board found sufficient medical evidence to support a current disability and established a relationship between this condition and service based on credible statements from the Veteran regarding noise exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- Hearing Loss, Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of the Lumbar Spine with Disc Protrusion
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- June 9, 2009
- Citation
- 0921621
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 0921621.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hearing loss as there is no current diagnosis of a bilateral hearing disability for VA purposes, and the Veteran did not have a hearing loss disability at any time during or recent to the filing of his claim.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, asthma, and foot conditions, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his education and work history throughout the appeal period.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hearing loss as there is no current diagnosis of a disability that meets VA's criteria for a disability.
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