The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbar strain and service connection for bilateral hearing loss were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbar strain prior to August 27, 2010 or since August 27, 2010. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was also denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's lumbar strain did not result in ankylosis or incapacitating episodes lasting at least 6 weeks during the past 12 months after August 27, 2010, and his hearing loss disability was not shown to be incurred in service.
- Claimed conditions
- Lumbar Strain, Degenerative Disc Disease (Nonservice-Connected)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 9, 2012
- Citation
- 1216687
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 1216687.
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 generalized anxiety disorder, hearing loss, and tinnitus are all granted service connection.,Service connection for GERD is also granted as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected generalized anxiety disorder.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted a TDIU from October 12, 2016 to November 12, 2018 and from January 1, 2019 to July 22, 2019 due to service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following any substantially gainful occupation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's death was caused by heart failure, which the Board finds may be service-connected through secondary service connection due to obesity resulting from his service-connected PTSD and back disability. However, VA failed to obtain a medical opinion addressing whether obesity is a substantial factor in causing heart failure.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, lumbar strain, and right shoulder strain have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since October 17, 2018. TDIU is granted effective from that date.
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