The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no current diagnosis of hearing loss. The claim for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbar degenerative disc disease and a separate compensable rating for left knee arthritis with painful motion are also denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran does not have diagnosed bilateral hearing loss, and the evidence does not support service connection based on presumptive exposure to noise. The VA examinations did not find ankylosis or incapacitating episodes of intervertebral disc syndrome that would warrant higher ratings for lumbar degenerative disc disease. For left knee arthritis with painful motion, there is X-ray evidence but no limitation of flexion or extension that would support a separate rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease, Left Knee Arthritis with Painful Motion
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 30, 2011
- Citation
- 1124825
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 1124825.
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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