The Veteran's appeal was denied for increased ratings for various service-connected disabilities, including degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, chondromalacia with medial meniscus tear of both knees, radiculopathy of both lower extremities, and hearing loss. The noncompensable rating assigned for his hearing loss disability is upheld.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's audiometric results consistently showed Level I hearing in both ears, which corresponds to a noncompensable (zero percent) rating under VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, Chondromalacia with medial meniscus tear of the left knee, Chondromalacia with medial meniscus tear of the right knee, Radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, Radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, Hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 16, 2012
- Citation
- 1213894
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 1213894.
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 Board denied extraschedular ratings for the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine and lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities, as well as a total disability rating based on individual unemployability prior to February 3, 2011.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's hearing loss and low back strain claims are remanded for further evaluation. The hearing loss claim is denied, while the low back strain claim requires additional examination to determine its severity.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss disability is not related to military noise exposure and there is no evidence of a nexus between in-service noise exposure and his current condition.
- Granted
The Veteran's entitlement to higher level of SMC at the intermediate rate is granted, effective from January 8, 2021. He was previously in need of aid and attendance due to his left knee disability since February 1, 2017, and now has additional disabilities rated at 50 percent or more.
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