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 assigned
- None in this 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1532400.
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 service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- 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.
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