The Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability has been reopened, but the evidence does not establish that he currently suffers from this condition. The Veteran is also seeking an increased evaluation for his residuals of a left ring finger laceration, which remains at 10%.,There is no established bilateral hearing loss or cervical spine disability, and the Veteran's complaints of unspecified joint stiffness are attributed to a recent injury.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not establish current disabilities for service connection purposes. The Veteran's residuals of a laceration have been evaluated at the maximum allowable under VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- Lumbar Spine Disability, Bilateral Hearing Loss, Cervical Spine Disability, Loss of Feeling/Stiffness in Unspecified Joints
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 25, 2015
- Citation
- 1549788
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 1549788.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his active service. The Board noted that while he had complaints of earaches in service, these did not indicate a current disability.
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