The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected disabilities were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for any of these conditions.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner determined that there was no new and material evidence to reopen the claim for right ear hearing loss, and the left knee disability was evaluated based on its current manifestations without considering aggravation by pre-existing conditions. The Veteran's complaints were found to be consistent with his service-connected disabilities and not due to additional injury or disease.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ear hearing loss, Left knee disability, Degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, Sciatica of the left lower extremity, Cubital tunnel syndrome of the right upper extremity, Cubital tunnel syndrome of the left upper extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- March 16, 2010
- Citation
- 1009875
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 1009875.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for chronic headaches, CFS, dermatosis, bilateral RLS, a lumbar spine disability, and sleep apnea but denied a compensable evaluation for allergic rhinitis.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for Meniere's disease, to include benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), secondary to tinnitus and dismissed the claims for a left knee disability, right knee disability, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent rating for the Veteran's left knee strain, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and service connection for a right ankle disorder. Other claims were denied or remanded.
- Denied
The appeal for higher ratings and effective dates for various conditions was denied, with the exception of left and right lower extremity radiculopathy which were granted an earlier effective date.
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