The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a right ear hearing loss disability for VA purposes and therefore, service connection is denied. The claims of entitlement to higher initial ratings for his right hand scars, left knee conditions, GERD, and thoracic strain are also denied.
The deciding factor: The objective evidence shows no right ear hearing loss as defined by VA regulations (38 C.F.R. § 3.385).
- Claimed conditions
- Right Ear Hearing Loss, Right Hand Scars, Left Knee Status Post Arthroscopy and Medial Meniscus Tear, Left Knee Instability, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) with Hiatal Hernia and Schatzki's Ring, Thoracic Strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 13, 2012
- Citation
- 1201345
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 1201345.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities have been rated and denied for increased ratings, with some conditions receiving specific disability ratings. The Veteran is granted a 60% rating for her total right knee replacement from September 4, 2015 onwards, but the other claims are denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right ear hearing loss and a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims based on in-service noise exposure or other theories.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been remanded due to insufficient evidence. The Board will consider all submitted evidence, including any new evidence provided by the Veteran.
- Granted
The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at 40 percent for limitation of extension, effective December 18, 2025. The Veteran also received separate ratings for instability and dislocation of semilunar cartilage.
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