The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, cervical spine disability, gastroenteritis with GERD, hemorrhoids, and left knee disability were denied. The Veteran is not entitled to a compensable rating for his bilateral hearing loss or a rating in excess of 20 percent for his cervical spine disability. He also does not meet the criteria for a higher rating for any of these conditions.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hearing impairment did not warrant a compensable rating based on audiological testing results, and he did not have an exceptional pattern of hearing loss. His cervical spine disability was rated as 20 percent disabling under the old criteria prior to September 23, 2002, but no higher ratings were warranted due to lack of incapacitating episodes or chronic manifestations.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Degenerative Changes of the Cervical Spine (Cervical Spine Disability), Gastroenteritis with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Hemorrhoids, Degenerative Changes of the Left Knee (Left Knee Disability)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 3, 2010
- Citation
- 1045193
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 1045193.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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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