The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee disability, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on limitation of motion or instability. The preponderance of the evidence was against granting any higher rating.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence showed no limitation of range of motion in flexion or extension that would warrant a higher rating under applicable diagnostic codes. There was also no evidence of instability, which is not present in this case as all objective stability tests were normal.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, bilateral ankle disability, diabetes mellitus, right knee disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- September 9, 2015
- Citation
- 1538437
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 1538437.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
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