The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for eligibility to purchase an automobile and adaptive equipment due to loss of use in hands or feet.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner determined that the Veteran retains effective function in his left hand, but does NOT retain effective function in his right hand, right foot, or left foot such that he would be equally well served by amputation with a prosthesis.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Degenerative Changes of the Cervical Spine, Degenerative Joint Disease of the Right Shoulder, Total Right Knee Replacement due to Degenerative Changes, Degenerative Joint Disease of the Lumbar Spine, Degenerative Changes of the Left Knee, Degenerative Joint Disease of the Left Shoulder, Tinnitus, Degenerative Changes of the Right Hip, Degenerative Joint Disease of the Left Hip, Intermittent Numbness and Neuralgia of the Left Parietal Occipital Scalp, Degenerative Changes of the Hands, Wrists and Elbows, Intertarsal Joint Osteoarthritis of Each Foot, Degenerative Changes of the Thoracic Spine, Tonsillectomy, Sinusitis with Eustachian Tube Salpingitis and Cephalgia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 29, 2015
- Citation
- 1532400
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1532400.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
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